Better Left Unsaid
by beccaloulou
Summary: Logan and Veronica are not the only ones in Neptune with an epic story. What will Mac and Dick do when they realize that they just might be exactly what the other one needs. Lots of angst and drama. Sorry I'm not really good at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : Set after the end of season 3, a few weeks after Veronica goes to her FBI internship, this is my take on how I feel things could have conceivable happened. Mainly a MaDi story just because I love them so much but of course there will be some LoVe angst in there because what is a Veronica Mars fanfic without it, plus some other old friends as well. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Veronica Mars or any of the recognizable characters, obviously. If I did then it would still be on the air. **

**CHAPTER 1**

"Shit!", and then a thump. Dick awoke to find the once occupied other half of his bed now blaringly empty. Pulling his head off of the pillow, he craned his neck around to see a voluptuous redhead picking herself off of his, yes disgusting, floor and kicking his dirty clothes against his bedroom wall.

"Leaving already? I thought we could….maybe….you know….." Dick rolled over on his back so she could see the boy scout tent created by his very awake Little Dick. Wiggling his eyebrows he gave her an air kiss. The redhead made a face not unlike the one made when witnessing someone vomit all over themselves and onto another person, but Dick had seen it enough times that it didn't bother him in the least.

"You're revolting." She said, making an obvious point of zipping her pants and pulling down her shirt.

"That didn't stop you from screaming out my name in pleasure last night." Dick countered, getting off the bed and picking up his own pants but choosing to forgo the shirt, he felt a slight twinge of pain as he pulled on his boxers.

"That wasn't pleasure, DICK, that was frustration because I never got to finish!"

"Hey I got mine." Dick laughed and walked out of his bedroom, leaving the redhead to make dirty hand gestures at his retreating back. In the living room he was surprised to see Logan on the couch with Ronnie's nerdy friend Mac, staring solemnly at a computer screen. "Logan. Ghostworld." He nodded at both and headed for the kitchen to grab a Gatorade. "To what do we owe this early morning visit?" He yelled from the kitchen.

Mac rolled her eyes at Logan who just laughed and shook his head. "It's not early morning dude, it's like 11 o'clock!" Logan yelled back.

"Anything before 12 is early morning." Dick sauntered back into the living room regarding Mac warily, they had never really been friends and even though he knew Logan was mainly because of the website, it was still strange to see her there at 11 on a random Wednesday morning. "So, early morning porn or a conspiracy to take over the world?" Mac tried to hide the same look that the redhead had just given him and failed, he just gave her one of his patented Dick Casablancas 'yep I just said that' looks.

"Not the whole world Dick, just the college ass rating world. We'll finish off the rest of the world tonight when we get bored." Logan gave them his own patented evil grin.

"So if Mackie's here to work on the website why were you two looking like someone ran over you're surfboard when I came out here?"

"Well Pinky, Brain" Mac looked at Dick and Logan respectively. "The first few weeks of this quarter have not been going as well as projected. Maybe everyone is too busy doing summer stuff to sit around and rate asses all day." Mac shrugged her shoulders and looked back down at the screen.

"Wrong!" Dick proclaimed. "I'm never to busy to rate an ass."

Just then the redhead emerged from Dick's bedroom fully clothed with her purse over her shoulder. "Wrong, Dick, I think what you meant to say is that you're never too busy to BE and ass." And with that she let herself out the front door, not once looking back.

"And I give that one a solid 4 and a half!" Dick yelled at the now closed front door, squirming in his seat to get more comfortable.

Mac was a little surprised, she knew the redhead, and not that she was harboring any Ellen-like tendencies, but she would have thought at least an 8. "Only a 4 and a half?"

"Yeah, I really don't like redheads." Dick shrugged and took another drink of his Gatorade.

"What? A whole group of people with pulses and lady parts that Dick Casablancas doesn't try to sleep with? What will the man whore club think about that, are they gonna revoke your membership?" Mac teased knowing that nothing she said could ever truly offend the goofy blond.

Dick was nonplussed, "Nah, obviously I'll still sleep with them, they just don't get a high rating."

"Or the extra special treatment." Mac added.

"Oh everyone who takes a ride on Tower of Casablancas gets the extra special treatment." He smirked giving Mac an over exaggerated wink.

"I'll keep that in mind. And I'm sure Aria would be happy to know that she too go the extra special treatment."

"Aria? Who the hell is Aria?" Dick looked at Logan confused then back at Mac.

"Aria, the girl you rated a 4 and a half, the one who you spent the night with last night."

"Oh, is that her name? I thought it was Anna. Aria, huh? How do you know?" Dick questioned, rising from the couch to toss his bottle in the trash can 10 feet away, it bounced off the edge and landed inside with a THUNK. Dick did a little victory dance, ignoring the pain in his nether regions and turned back to Mac.

Mac held back an eye roll. "She was in my European studies class last semester. We did a report together. Can we please get back to the problem at hand?" Mac pleaded gesturing to the computer screen. Logan just shrugged his shoulders as he got up from the couch, disappearing into the kitchen. Mac turned her attention back to Dick who had his feet up on the couch and was holding his shorts open by the waistband looking down at himself, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable she cleared her throat loudly, "Do you need to be alone?"

"BITCH!" Mac jumped at the sudden outburst, she could feel her face flame red, one little joke and she was suddenly a bitch?

Logan reappeared in the kitchen doorway, holding a bottle of water and a box of cereal. "We don't call our guests names Dick, it's not very nice." He pretended seriousness although he knew the outburst was not directed at Mac.

"She bit me!" Dick let go of his waistband and looked up at Logan incredulous. "She fucking bit me!" Logan and Mac looked at each other silent for about thirty seconds trying hard to keep themselves composed but it proved too difficult, they burst out laughing at the exact same time.

"Dude you know you're my bro and I've got your back, but…..you know you probably deserved it." Logan laughed reclaiming his seat next to Mac, who was in full on laugh until you cry mode, doubled over on the couch. "It probably won't be the last time either."

Dick glared at Mac who had finally calmed herself to a quiet chuckle. "Are you done? I don't think you would be laughing if someone had bitten one of your lady parts."

"You're right I wouldn't but I happen to know for a fact that she does that just so you won't….uh….finish in her mouth." Despite her friendship with Logan and their website, Mac was still uncomfortable talking about certain subject, most likely due to her inexperience.

"That's messed up dude, how do you know?"

"First of all, I'm NOT a dude and second, she told me, I told you we were partners."

"Shit, girls really do tell each other everything don't they?" Dick asked looking a little freaked out, what were all the girls he'd been with saying about him?

"Yep, in between the pillow fights and teaching each other how to kiss." Mac couldn't help but laugh at the faraway look that both boys had in their eyes at the mention of girls kissing. She waved her hand in front of Logan's face. "Hello, Mr. Echolls, come back to earth, we're discussing something important here."

Logan shook his head, blinking away the image of Veronica and Lily in knee socks, practicing kissing on one another. "I'm not worried, so we're a little behind, it'll pick up when everyone gets bored with summer."

"That's fine for you, millionaire son of movie stars who lives in a hotel with people waiting on him hand and foot, but I for one was counting on having some extra money, I would like to cut back my hours in the IT office next semester and get some of my harder classes done with." She should have known, since when was a 09er worried about money?

"A party!" Dick shouted out of the blue, a giant smile spreading across his face.

"To celebrate the fact that I will have to sell my body to finish paying for college? You want me to start stripping tonight because I left my schoolgirl outfit at the cleaners." Mac said dryly, her sarcasm was completely lost on Dick who was then thinking about girls in schoolgirl outfits teaching each other how to kiss.

"No Mac-adocious, to advertise the website. We could even do a game, like guess which number butt this is, we could get some butts to match with the ones on the website. Plus beer, lots of beer."

"You seriously will think of any excuse to have a party won't you?" Logan laughed. Dick just smiled.

Mac was thoughtful for a moment not saying anything. "Actually, I think that's not a half bad idea. We could give people a little preview and leave them wanting more." Dick was surprised that Mac seemed to think his idea was a good one, Mac was a little surprised herself, given the conversation they just had she didn't think she would ever think Dick Casablancas had good ideas again.

"Then a party it is!" Logan proclaimed jumping off the couch, Dick joined him and they exchanged a macho high five, Mac rolled her eyes but couldn't help but laugh, their excitement was contagious.

"Well I'll leave you two to the party planning; I've got to go get ready for work. Call me when you've got some details." Mac said, closing her computer and getting off of the couch herself.

"Work? Dude, it's summer. Have some fun." Dick looked confused at the word work, he broke into a little dance and shimmied his way up to Mac.

"Yeah, it's what normal people have to do to pay bills, remember it's either hours spent helping horny teenagers find a faster way to download porn at the computer store or help horny middle aged men find a faster way to get off down at the Body Lounge." Mac extricated herself from Dick's gyrating and made her way to the door.

"I'll call you Mac, don't work too hard." Logan said, Dick continued his dance quietly repeating "party, party, party" to himself.

Logan turned toward Dick as Mac closed the door, "Dude, I can't believe she bit you." He said shaking his head. Dick immediately stopped dancing, his arms dropped to his sides.

"I know. Just for that I'm only gonna give her a three and a half."

_To be continued..._

**Reviews of any kind will be greatly appreciated. I have this storyline in mind but I will only go through the work of actually writing it if I feel like people are actually reading it, so please, REVIEW! Thank you in advance. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_The next day_

"See ya. " Mac called goodbye to Lucas, her favorite coworker, and headed outside to her cute little car. Just as she opened the driver's door her phone began to vibrate in her bag. She smiled when a blonde head appeared with the words _Unicorn Lover _underneath. "Bond, crossed any double agents yet?" She said in lieu of a greeting.

"Not yet Q, granted nobody knows who I truly work for yet." Veronica said mischievously.

"The ass-kickin, pony loving, private investigating agency?" Mac questioned sitting in her car and buckling up.

"Ssshhh, they might hear you then my cover would be blown." Veronica whispered. Mac smiled, she couldn't believe how much she missed her best friend, what was she going to do this summer if not help Veronica singlehandedly find D.B. Cooper.

"Yes, but if your cover is blown then you would get to come home and I wouldn't be faced with a summer of working overtime and pre-reading my textbooks for next semester. " Mac frowned into the phone and Veronica could hear the sadness in her voice.

"True Q, however, I happen to know that you have a kick-ass Dick Casablancas shindig coming up to keep you entertained."

Mac was a little surprised that Veronica knew about the party, she hadn't told her and she knew that she wasn't having any late night tete-a-tete's with Dick, that only left one person. "So, you're talking to Logan again huh? That's good."

"We're friends ever since I broke up with Piz and I actually think we'll be able to make it work this time." Veronica sounded happy and Mac was happy for her, the constant up and down, hating and loving of Logan and Veronica's relationship was exhausting to those who were friends with both of them and therefore perpetually stuck in the middle. That also explained Logan's chipper attitude when Mac was over there on Wednesday, when Veronica and Logan were off again Logan usually spent his days brooding in the dark and nursing bottles of liquor.

"I'm glad. Did Logan tell you that Dick thought of the party to help advertise for the website? I actually think it might work as scary as it is to admit that Dick had a not bad idea." Mac had yet to start her car and was in fact still sitting in the parking lot when Lucas came out of the store and wide excitedly at Mac; she waved back as he got into his own car.

"He's just looking for a legitimate excuse to have a party." Veronica surmised her voice dripping with disdain for the man in question. "You know they are expecting you to be there right?"

Mac was silent, _I would rather pull my toenails off with tweezers than go to an 09er party, _she thought to herself, meanwhile Veronica was still waiting for her to speak on the other end of the phone. "Hello, Mac, did I just hear a cricket chirp?"

"I can't, I'm not, they can't think I'm gonna, I never said I would." Mac replayed the conversation in her mind, nope not once did she say that she would be at the party herself. "Why would I go?"

"They might have gotten the idea because it's a party for YOUR website. I'm just guessing though. Come on Q, you've been to a Dick party before, you survived." There is an awkward silence as the friends contemplate the Dick party that Veronica almost didn't survive.

"Veronica," Mac whined "I can't go without you, who will protect me? Who will mock the dumb party girls and keep Dick in his place?" Veronica let out a half choked laugh and a huge sigh. "Speaking of which," Mac said laughing, "did Logan tell you what happened to Dick this morning?"

"Is this going to make me happy or nauseous?"

"Definitely happy. Well do you remember Aria Campbell? That redhead from my European studies class, we were partners on a report." Veronica made her 'yes, go on' noise so Mac continued. "Remember how I told you she was complaining about her boyfriend and how he always wanted to, you know, and she didn't because she didn't like the taste in her mouth?" Mac was trying and failing to control her giggling.

"Oh yeah and you jokingly told her to bite him at the end so he wouldn't do it in her mouth?"

"Well evidently she took that as some 'Dear Abby' advice and she did. To Dick." Mac almost couldn't get the last words out she was laughing so hard.

It took Veronica only about three seconds to follow the meaning of what Mac was saying and she too was rolling with laughter. "Thank you Mac, I think that just made my summer, seriously, nothing can get me down now."

Mac didn't miss the sentiment at the end of what Veronica said. "What was getting you down before?"

"Oh, nothing, just missing everybody, I'm worried that everything is going to be different when I come back home." Veronica's tone had suddenly lost its playfulness and Mac was concerned.

"Why would it?"

Veronica paused for a beat. "It wouldn't, just being sentimental that's all. So anyway, you are going to that party right? You have too and keep an eye on Logan for me, let me know about any girls that might talk to him."

Mac shook her head and smiled, "I see you want me to take them outside and Chuck Norris their butts for you too. Or just tell anyone who asks that I think he may be leaning the way of Brokeback Mountain?"

Another pause from Veronica, she wasn't usually this slow in a conversation. "Actually….I want you to make sure he talks to someone nice." Mac was so shocked she actually removed the phone from her ear and stared at it to make sure that it was still Veronica Mars she was talking to.

"Umm, okay I guess. Do I want to ask why?"

"I'm not sure yet, we'll have a girly, staying up til two a.m., chat session about it later though, I gotta get back to work, remember they can't figure out who I really am." Veronica sounded like herself again but Mac was still worried, Veronica _wanting_ Logan to talk to a nice girl? Something was definitely going down. "Oh and invite Wallace to the party he would love to mock dumb party girls with you, well, and then try to hook up with them, but you don't have to do that, unless you really want too, no judgment it is college after all, a time for experimentation."

"On that note, I'll call you later." Mac hung up before Veronica could say another word. Wallace, of course, why hadn't she thought about that sooner?

Ten minutes later, Mac pulled up in front of Wallace's modest house. She was going to have to convince him that attending a glorified kegger at Dick and Logan's house was a good way to spend his precious free time and she wasn't exactly sure how she was going to do that. _Damn_, she thought, _I should have brought some red vines_. She quickly scanned the interior of her car for something that may serve as an equivalent distraction to actually get Wallace to agree to the party. Just then she heard a car pull up behind her, her time with Veronica had her instincts instantly cause her to search for something that could have been used for a weapon.

"Cindy, fancy meeting you here!" It was Keith, Veronica's dad, with a big goofy grin on his face.

Mac relaxed and got out of her car. "Hey Mr. Mars, I could say the same thing about you." Mac looked between Wallace's house and Keith, giving him a knowing look.

The grin on Keith Mars' face just got wider. "Yep I'm here to see my lady friend; I believe my name is on her dance card several times." Mac was thrilled that Keith and Alicia had gotten back together, if Veronica and Wallace became siblings maybe she would stop bothering Mac about getting bunk beds.

"Well I'm here to convince Wallace to protect me as I join the forces of evil for a night of debauchery and loud music." Mac and Keith headed for the front door and Keith knocked loudly.

"Ah, spending some time with Mr. Echolls and Mr. Casablancas I presume." Keith nodded knowingly as Alicia opened the door with the same goofy grin that Keith had minutes earlier.

Mac feigned a shocked expression. "Why Mr. Mars your deductive reasoning is really quite astounding, now I know where Veronica gets it from." Alicia had stepped back from the door to allow them to enter and was giving Mac a questioning look.

"Well when you combine the terms 'forces of evil' and 'debauchery' in one sentence, you can really only be talking about two people." He said giving Alicia a hug and prudent kiss on the cheek. "Sweetie, Mac would like to escort your son on a night of debauchery joining the forces of evil." Alicia looked alarmed for a second until Mac shook her head and Keith laughed.

"I just want to invite Wallace to a little party the guys are having for the website." She decided to leave out the part about rating asses and lots of beer.

"How are things in the gluteus maximus rating world?" Keith asked, obviously thrilled to be standing with his arm around Alicia Fennel once again.

Mac made a mental note to see if Veronica knew about their reconciliation when they had their girly long chat. "Not great sir, thus the party. We're trying to drum up a little business, get our name out there a little more." Mac pretended not to notice as Keith's hand traveled down Alicia's back and came to a rest on her own well sculpted gluteus maximus, giving it a tiny squeeze. She felt her face flush with embarrassment, what was it with guys and asses?

"I hope it works honey." Alicia said as she discreetly scooted away from Keith's wandering hands and toward the kitchen. "But Wallace isn't here; he went down to the beach with Darrell." Mac said goodbye and left the lovebirds alone to their ass-grabbing, heading to the strip of beach she was sure that Wallace would be at. She spotted them close to the water, Wallace holding the control to his remote control plane and explaining something to Darrell. As she started walking towards them her phone started vibrating again, she glanced at the screen it said, _Echolls._ She stopped walking and pushed the SEND button.

"Hey Logan, done taking over the world already? I've hardly noticed a difference."

"That's just what I want you to think; soon you'll all be wearing giant fruit hats and singing Christina Aguilera songs around a campfire."

"Hmm guess I'll have to make another one, last week I got a midnight craving and ate all the bananas out of mine." Mac started walking again, picking her way around the bikini clad sun worshippers.

"So I've got to warn you about the party." Logan paused and Mac's pulse started racing, this couldn't be good. "Dick came up with the brilliant plan that since it's a party advertising an ass rating website, then we should all be required to dress accordingly."

"I am not coming to a naked party Logan." Mac could hear Dick yelling in the background, "Tell her if she doesn't come dressed right she is gonna regret it!" Mac rolled her eyes, regret it even more than she already does just having agreed to come to the party in general?

"Nope, not a naked party an underwear party." Mac briefly considered hanging up on him but decided it wouldn't be good for their professional relationship. Again she could hear Dick laughing and saying something in the background, she couldn't quite make it out but she thought she heard the words _naked _and _soon_.

"Logan, let me rephrase that, I am not going to any party where I will be required to expose my ankles and elbows." Mac had finally reached Wallace and Darrel and he was giving her a quizzical look, she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Come on Mac you can wear your pajamas or something, it'll be fun, you know Dick will get wasted and pass out, I'll let you draw inappropriate things on his face."

Mac contemplated this for a second, "Only if I can use permanent marker." She finally declared.

"I'll even supply it for you." Logan assured her. He was still surprised how much better he got along with Veronica's friends than any of the other 09ers he grew up with, with the exception of Dick and Duncan of course, not that he counted Duncan who was still m.i.a. from the country. "Oh yeah" He added quickly before Mac could hang up. "Dick wants to know why Veronica just sent him a text message that said, 'how many licks does it take to get to the center of Dick Casablancas?"

Mac quickly hung up before she could bust out laughing again and turned her attention to Wallace. She tilted her head a la Veronica and gave him her sweetest smile, "Wallace, my best guy friend, you big old chocolate teddy bear." As soon as her mouth opened Wallace started shaking his head and walking away.

"Nope, no, uhn uh, I know that Veronica Mars head tilt, you're gonna ask me for a favor and it ain't gonna be an easy one."

"Wallace please, I need you this is life or death." She begged, dropping the head tilt and looking at him straight on.

"Man with Veronica out of state I really thought I'd get to spend my summer favor free. What is it?"

Mac couldn't look him in the eye instead she examined the sand sliding over her shoe as she told him what she needed. "Underwear you say?" She nodded slowly. He waited a few moments to answer her, trying to look as if it was really a big inconvenience to him, when in truth he is a 19 year old guy so all he really heard was _underwe_ar and _ass rating. _

"Now, I may, may, be persuaded to escort you to this wildly inappropriate display of the human body, but it's gonna cost you."

"I am not hacking into your credit card company and increasing your credit line, again, it's only going to be harder for you in the end. And I prefer to call it a night of debauchery with the forces of evil."

Wallace looked slightly embarrassed but laughed, "No, there's this girl, I saw you talking to her a couple weeks ago, and I want you to introduce us."

Mac scanned through her brain to figure out which girl he was referring to, she doesn't spend a lot of free time talking to girls that are, well, Veronica. "Description please."

Wallace looked up with that same faraway expression she saw on Dick and Logan's faces a couple of days earlier. When he spoke his voice had a slightly dreamy quality to it, "tall, brown hair, curvy body, caramel skinned goddess." Mac instantly knew who he was talking about; she worked with her at the computer store.

"Ah, Cameryn Farrior, I work with her. I could invite her to the party if you want." She gave him a little wink wink, nudge nudge.

Wallace looked like he might jump out of his skin with excitement. "Girl, if you could do that then I would owe YOU!" He could just imagine her walking around in her underwear, maybe doing a little dancing, curly hair getting wild…

"WALLACE!" Mac slapped him on the arm hard enough to snap him out of his daydream. "I said the party is tomorrow at 9; meet me in the lobby of the Grand at 8:45."

Wallace smiled, "Oh it is going down tomorrow night!" And he did a little Michael Jackson right there on the sand.

Mac just smiled at him and started to walk away, and then she remembered something and turned back toward him, a big smile on her face. "I can't believe I almost forgot to tell you what happened to Dick…."

_To be continued…._

**A/N: Postings won't always be this close, I just really wanted to get the story going. I know this chapter wasn't very exciting, but even the fillers are necessary. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_The morning of the party._

The early morning sun was glistening on the water as Dick and Logan sat straddling their surfboards and staring out at the expanse of ocean. They had been silent for a while now, both lost in their own thoughts, Logan's of Veronica and the possibility of them getting back together when she got back to Neptune. Dick's thoughts were much simpler; he was so excited about the party tonight that he couldn't think about much else.

"Dude this party is gonna kick ASS!" Dick finally broke the silence, he was sure Logan was thinking about Ronnie and that was never a good thing when it went on for too long.

Logan looked at his old friend and smiled, "Yeah it's gonna be quite the party."

"Come on man it's gonna be like epic. An underwear party, ass rating up close and personal, our sister sorority is coming and their inviting some of their friends. Its gonna be the best party of the summer!" Dick slapped the still water to emphasize each point.

Logan paused at Dick's word choice, epic, that was how he described his and Veronica's relationship. Damn he wished she would be at the party, it had been so long since he had seen her in nothing but her underwear. He knew he had no one to blame but himself, first sleeping with Madison, Madison of all people! Then dating Parker, she was a nice girl but she was just a pathetic attempt to fill the void left by Veronica dating Piz. But that was over now, Veronica would be back in a few weeks and then, well then he would do everything he could to get her back, it wouldn't take much to remind her of what they shared, after all, they were epic. Cheerful once again, Logan slapped Dick on the back, "Dude you're right this is gonna be the best party of the summer! Now let's quite chatting like old ladies at tea and get on with the surfing!"

Dick needed no further urging, immediately he lay down on his board and started paddling towards the waves. They rode for an hour, until the salt had clumped in their hair and it felt like they were breathing not air but ocean water itself. Truly exhilarated and even more ready for the party, they sauntered across the beach holding their boards under their arms. They headed towards Logan's bright yellow Xterra, when suddenly Logan stopped and turned toward Dick, a serious expression on his face.

"How many licks_ did_ it take to get to your gooey center?" Logan started laughing hysterically as he ran across the parking lot, Dick close behind him.

_How Dick gets ready for the party_

Dick stands in front of the mirror in his bedroom wearing a pair of speedo style underwear, he is also holding a pair of tightie whities and a pair of boxer briefs on either side. He holds the tightie whities in front of himself and quickly tosses them to the side, shaking his head. "Speedos can give the ladies a nice little show, however…." He says to no one, moving to hold the boxer briefs in front, "these would be more like opening up a present. Chicks dig presents." He quickly exchanges the speedos for the briefs, wincing only slightly at the pain from the bitches teeth. He glances back in the mirror and gives himself a smirk, satisfied with what he sees. Out in the living room he can hear the caterers setting up the buffet table when one of them mentions a plastic pig.

Dick rushes out his door almost tripping over his own feet, "Don't touch the party pig!" He yells at no one in particular causing everyone to stop what they are doing and look at him curiously. A few of the female workers are eying him appreciatively causing him to stand up straighter, he gives them a little finger gun gesture and a wink and slowly makes his way back to his room. _This party is gonna rock!_

_How Logan gets ready for the party_

Logan is lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. He has already picked out his plain black boxers to wear and is now back to contemplating Veronica and what she might be persuaded to wear to an underwear party. Just then his phone starts to buzz, he smiles when he sees the readout, _Sexiest P.I. Ever_.

"Why hello Veronica, I was just thinking about you." The smile stays on his face.

"I knew I felt someone, somewhere undressing me with their eyes, I just assumed it was Tiny, my prison pen pal, I knew I shouldn't have sent those pictures that he asked for, but gosh can he be persuasive."

"I thought you learned your lesson from your last prison pen pal, didn't he have to be sent to solitary confinement after defending your honor?" Logan learned early on it was easiest to go along with whatever random tangent Veronica went on.

"You would like to think so, but I'm a slow learner."

"Come on, I recall teaching you things that you picked up on real fast." His voice is full of innuendo and at the other end of the line Veronica can't help but blush a little thinking about the things that he did in fact teach her.

"I did have a purpose for this call." Veronica says quickly, trying to change the subject off of the intimacies of their relationship.

"Oh so it wasn't just to torture me with the sound of your incredibly sexy phone voice?"

Veronica ignores his flirting, instead she says, "You have to look out for Mac at this party. Make sure Dick is nice to her; I'm not there with my taser to keep away the jackasses. Remember she is a delicate soul, she isn't use to being around such flagrant disregard for human decency."

"Uhm, sugarpuss, I hate to burst your bubble, but your _delicate souled _friend has agreed to come to an underwear party. And I really have no control over Dick."

Veronica was shocked; Mac couldn't possibly know that it is an underwear party she agreed to go to. "She does know right? About the dress code, she's not gonna show up wearing jeans and a shirt and you make her do a keg stand until she takes her clothes off."

Logan was hurt that Veronica could actually think he would trick Mac like that; after all she was his friend too. "There it is, Veronica Mars accusing me of nefariousness, once again. Now my life feels whole again." Logan commented sarcastically.

"I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings Logan, I just know Dick, and well, he is his name. I'm just worried about Mac is all, going to a party like that without me."

Logan felt his anger at Veronica wipeout any thoughts about her prancing around in her underwear. "Mac's a big girl Veronica; everyone does not need Veronica Mars being their ankle biting guard dog."

"Hello pot, this is kettle, you're black too." Veronica said without thinking, she wasn't trying to get into an argument with Logan, she really was just worried about Mac, she wasn't used to the 09er crowd like Veronica was.

"Maybe she just wants to have a little fun Veronica, you should try it sometime, it's what some people do instead of putting their noses into everyone else's business." He shot back, only Veronica could get him so angry so quickly. He immediately regretted his words; he was supposed to be getting her back into his life, not pushing her out again with his snide comments. He opened his mouth to apologize but he hears the dial tone in his ear, with a sigh he tosses his phone back on his bed. Maybe this party isn't such a good idea; lord knows what kind of stupid choices he makes when he is angry at Veronica.

_How Mac gets ready for the party_

Mac stares at the clothes she has lined up on her bed, after an hour of careful deliberation she has narrowed her options down to four. The first option is a sexy little thong and push up bra that Max had jokingly given her a few weeks before they broke up. It was black lace and trimmed with purple ribbon and the only reason it was one of the choices was because the ribbon matched the streaks in her hair. _Who am I kidding_, she thinks as she tosses the risqué set to the side, _that was never really an option_. Her second option is a flannel pajama set her grandparents had given her last Christmas. Long sleeved, long pants with a matching robe, entirely too warm for a southern California party held during summertime, she lets out a sigh as she tosses that one to the side to rest on top of the bra set. She turns her attention to her last two choices, her regular, every day, boy cut underwear topped off with a plain nude colored bra; and her regular, every night pajamas, a pair of blue stripped boxers and a wife beater tank top. As she bends to pick up the boxers and tank top she looks back at the flannel pajama set, seriously contemplating the need to be warm in what is sure to be an overly air-conditioned hotel room.

As soon as she has pulled her jeans and t-shirt on over her head, Ryan, her annoying little brother, barges in without so much as a knock. "Ew gross!" He exclaims surveying the piles of her underwear thrown around the room. "Why are you're girly clothes, like, everywhere?" He lets out a tiny shudder and turns his attention back to her.

"Ew gross!" She says mocking his prepubescent voice cracking. "Why is there a giant rodent in my room?"

He blushes slightly, hating the reminder that she so often has to give him about his loss of control over his own voice box. "Mom sent me to find you, she said something about having a girl's night or something, I don't know."

"If you don't even know what she told you to say then why are you even in here?" Mac questioned, giving her brother a 'duh' look and rolling her eyes.

"Just to piss you off!" He yells over his shoulder as he runs out of the room and slams the door behind him.

"You do a pretty good job at that just by living!" She yells after him, opening her door. She knows she shouldn't be so mean to him and he's usually not that bad as far as little brothers go, but she can't help it, she is so nervous about the party and it has her on edge.

Boxers and tank top tucked discreetly in her purse, she makes her way out of her room to find her mom. She has decided to change at the party, it will just be cleaner that way, she hopes. "Yeah mom, I'm coming." She finds her at the kitchen table laptop open in front of her.

"Oh Cindy, there you are sweetie. Well your dad is taking Ryan to a baseball game tonight and since it would just be the two of us I figured we could have a little mother/daughter time. Dinner, shopping, maybe a movie." The look on her face is so hopeful that Mac almost considers agreeing, using it as an excuse not to go to Dick's stupid underwear party, but then she thinks about her mom and how she's not really her mom at all and how she has kept that fact secret for so many years and how Mac is still kind of mad at her. She shakes her head, "Sorry mom, they called me in to work at the IT office." She lied saying the first thing that came to her mind.

"But honey, its summer?" Despite being angry at her parents she still hated lying to them and she knew she wasn't very good at it, this was gonna be tricky.

"Yeah well, they had a major malfunction with the rooming assignments computer. The computer screwed up and was placing everybody in a coed room. It's a huge fiasco and they need it fixed a.s.a.p. I'll probably be gone all night." There that wasn't so unbelievable was it?

"Oh, well, okay, just try to get some sleep tonight if you can, remember, we have your cousin Becca's wedding to go to tomorrow." Her mom gave her a pointed look, one that said 'don't even try to use being tired as an excuse for not going to this wedding, if I have to go then so do you'.

"Don't worry mom, I'll be there." Mac muttered as she headed for the front door. "I'll be the one with the cyanide capsule in my tooth."

"What was that Cindy?" Her mother called from the kitchen.

"Love you mom, I'll see you tomorrow!" Mac's mom laughed as she heard Mac shut the door, amused at Mac's dry sense of humor.

_How Wallace gets ready for the party_

"So, uh, Cameryn, is it? Mac tells me you two work together; you know I've always been fascinated with computers…." Wallace stops talking and shakes his head at himself in the mirror. _No way, too forced._

"Well hello there gorgeous, if I said you had a beautiful body would you hold it against me?" _Nope, too Dickish._

"Hi, I'm Wallace, Mac's friend. I've noticed you around and was wondering if you wanted to grab a coffee or something?" _Ugh, too boujis._

"Come on man, you got this. You're like Keith Stone, smooth like butta." Wallace says to the mirror with a head nod and a nose flick.

"Hey girl, saw you sittin here all alone, wanna dance?" This time he smiles proudly at his reflection. _Girl ain't gonna know what hit her._

**A/N: Okay so this chapter wasn't my favorite to write but I felt it needed to be in there, it adds to the storyline that I have in mind. I was also sick when I wrote it so I think that is why it was not coming out like I wanted it to, hope it works though. Thanks to you who have favorite and reviewed it really means a lot, especially to know that there are others just as obsessed with MaDi as me!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_I smell sex and candy here_

_Who's that lounging in my chair _

_Who's that casting devious stares in my direction_

_Mama this surely is a dream_

Dick nods his head along with the music as he surveys the party spread before him. The buffet, as well as the 3 bar stations are fully stocked and ready to go. Half of the lights had been turned off, the other half turned down, to create what Dick termed 'a let's get busy' atmosphere. He has all his old mixed cd's with crazy old songs on them piled up near the sound system. Posters they had printed off advertising the website were randomly placed on the walls, and the party pig, along with his two buddies that Dick had recently purchased, occupied positions of honor at various places around the room. On his chest, Dick has painted the words _how many licks?_ with an arrow pointing down.

"Let's do this!" He shouts to the empty room just as the doorbell rings, he glances at the blue glow of the clock 9:30, _right on time_, he thinks and heads towards the door.

Downstairs in the lobby, Wallace is pacing around the vast entryway, trying to ignore the pointed stares from the other hotel guests, and waiting anxiously for Mac to appear. He has already seen at least 40 people come in half naked groups and walk towards the elevator. When Mac finally does appear just behind the glass doors, he is not at all surprised to see her wearing her jeans and a modest t-shirt.

"Why am I not surprised?" He laughs as she makes her way across the lobby to him. "Couldn't do it could you? Is that why you are now officially an hour late?" he questions, glancing at his watch.

"No, I'm an hour late because I sat in my car in the parking lot for an hour, debating whether or not I actually wanted to do this. And coming up with various ways of making Dick pay for turning this into an underwear party. I mean hasn't he already seen all these girls naked anyway, why does he want to see them in their underwear?"

"He hasn't seen you." Wallace says playfully, eliciting a disgusted look from Mac.

"And that's how its going to stay, I can assure you." She replies icily. Wallace just laughs at her again and gestures towards the elevator.

Back upstairs, Logan and Dick stand with their backs against the wall, looking around at the party taking place before them. Dick is holding the requisite red plastic cup but not actually drinking it, while Logan is reeling from his earlier conversation with Veronica, wondering how it went so bad so fast. "Damn, this party blows!" Dick sighs chugging the last of his now warm beer.

Logan looks at him surprised. "Fifty half naked girls are running around, getting drunk and Dick Casablancas isn't having a good time? Where has my best friend gone?"

"Dude, I've already either slept with all of these chicks or tried to sleep with them."

"Tried and failed? Ah, that ol'Casablancas charm isn't what it used to be."

Dick looks at Logan offended. "No, Dick Casablancas does not fail when it comes to chicks, he just….." He stammers trying to think of an appropriate term that doesn't make him sound like a loser, he is saved from this daunting task when Mac and Wallace enter the room. "Dude look it's Ghost World and Fennel. I can't believe she is wearing pants, what a rip off!" Dick doesn't waste anytime heading off determinedly in Mac's direction, glaring at her from behind his shaggy blond hair.

Mac sees him approaching and the annoyed look on his face, she immediately starts walking the other way towards the hallway and the bedrooms. "Cool it Casablancas, I brought my clothes to change into. I'm not gonna ruin all your fun." She says as she grabs the first door handle she comes to and steps inside. Of course it would be Dick's bedroom. "I didn't exactly feel like explaining to my parents why I was leaving the house in my pajamas." She finishes as she closes the door behind her. She debates just spending the entire night locked in this bedroom but as she eyes the chaos and general nastiness surrounding her she decides to take her chances on the party.

Dick looks after her appeased for the moment and walks up to Wallace. "Bro, glad you could make it, mi casa es su casa and whatever. Not to sound gay or anything, but I'm digging the boxers, very romantic man." He nods his approval at Wallace's red silk boxers covered in little pink hearts.

Logan joins them seconds later, grabbing Wallace's hand and giving him a macho man half hug. "Good to see ya man. Hey have you heard from Veronica lately, is she mad at me?" Logan couldn't help but ask, if Veronica was having any type of feelings about Logan good or bad, he was sure that Wallace would be the one she would talk to about it. Now whether or not Wallace shared that information with him was another story, but he thought he'd ask anyway.

_Poor Logan_, Wallace thinks, _that boy has it so bad man, how the mighty can fall_. "Sorry dude, I haven't talked to her in about a week." This was at least partly true as he hadn't spoken to her on the phone in a week. However she did send him the cryptic text message earlier_, party, logan + nice girl thnks._

"Holy shit." They both hear Dick mumble and turn to follow his gaze. Logan is surprised to see it end at a very uncomfortable looking Mac standing in Dick's doorway. She has on a pair of old worn out boxers and a tight white tank top that hugs her soft, curvy body perfectly, even Logan was impressed, not that he really had eyes for anyone other than Veronica, but still you had to give the girl some props, she made men's underclothes look good. "Who knew that Ghost World was hiding all of that underneath her t-shirts." Dick couldn't take his eyes off her, and the fact that she was coming out of _his_ bedroom wearing that, definitely made his thoughts head in a specific direction.

Wallace looked from Mac back to Dick and saw the look on his face; he playfully punched him in the arm. "No way dude, Mac is so way out of your reach, you'd have to climb the space elevator to kiss her feet."

Logan agreed and especially with Veronica's specific instructions looming over his head, he couldn't take his chance on Dick, well, being a Dick towards her best friend. "Yeah man don't even go there, she's a sweet girl, not like the psychotic bitches you usually go for."

Dick just shook his head and turned back towards his friends. "I'm not; I was just surprised is all. I mean come on she dated Beav-Cassidy, wouldn't that be like incest or something. Plus she's weird, all smart and shit, like I think she actually enjoys learning. She's not just in college to party. Who does that?"

"Spoken like a true Casablancas. You're gonna make some gal a lucky women one day Dick, really lucky." Logan's sarcasm rolls off Dick's back as usual and he walks his way back into the throngs of partiers.

As he retreats, Mac walks slowly up to Wallace and Logan, having trouble meeting their eyes. "I just want it on the record that I am doing this under protest and you," at this she turns her body towards Logan but continues to look at the ground, "owe me really big."

Logan leans down to look up at Mac from below, forcing her to meet his eyes, he didn't want to change who she was but he did want her to have a good time and not feel self-conscience. "Noted, now go out there and make me proud Mackenzie, have fun!" Mac began to feel herself relax at Logan's easy manner and she raised her head to look both of them in the eye.

Wallace patted her on the back and gave her a huge smile. "And damn girl, you should know you look good, go and flaunt it. I mean you made Dick's jaw literally drop to the floor when he first saw you." Mac looked to Logan who nodded his agreement. Not that impressing Dick Casablancas of all people was a priority but it was still nice to hear.

"Now let's go and introduce me to a certain girl. You did invite her right?" Wallace started searching the party earnestly.

Mac rolled her eyes and laughed, "Of course brown sugar lets go." And off they headed to find Wallace's caramel skinned goddess.

They found that 'certain girl' huddled in the corner eying the party suspiciously, relief set across her face as she saw Mac coming over to her. "Oh my god Mac I'm so glad to see you. I thought you had ditched me. I mean seriously what kind of party is this?" She questioned glancing at the half naked drunk people.

"A Dick Casablancas party." Mac answers, gesturing to Dick who is now gyrating wildly in the middle of the room.

"Ah, it all makes sense now. I really can't believe you talked me into this, this is so not my thing." Cameryn comments as she tries in vain to cover herself with the strategic placement of her arms. Her simple bra and panty set are modest but Wallace finds them incredibly sexy and he eyes her appreciatively. Cameryn looks to Mac with an 'are you going to introduce us?' look and cuts her eyes back to Wallace.

"Cameryn Farrior, Wallace Fennel, you both like basketball and long walks on the beach." And with that she walks away leaving Wallace to work his smooth talking magic.

As she is making her way through the crowd she is jostled into someone and she feels an arm reach out and grab her. She looks up in surprise, she is ready to give the intruder a piece of her mind when she sees the shocked face of Tanner Sutcliff, another computer engineering major whom she shared several classes with freshman year.

"Cindy Mackenzie? What are you doing here? Won't the other nuns shun you if they find out you were here." Tanner laughs uproariously at his own wittiness. Mac gives him the dirtiest look she can muster and keeps on walking, she heads straight toward a bar station. _If they wanna see Cindy Mackenzie party, then so be it._ She asks for a shot of something and chokes it down.

Dick is sitting on the couch chatting with a cute tiny blonde when he sees Mac downing shots at the bar, he must admit, that is the second time she has surprised him tonight, _who knew that Mackie had it in her. _He excuses himself from the blonde and plants himself next to Mac at the bar, giving her a proud look. "Ghost World, I never knew you were such a lush." Dick has to use all of his self-control to keep his eyes above her neck.

"I'm getting wasted, dude, isn't that what you're supposed to do at a Dick Casablancas party?" Mac's imitation of a dumb surfer was spot on and Dick had to laugh.

"That's what most people do but not computer geeks who happen to be best friends with girls like Veronica Mars."

If looks could kill, Dick and all future Dick would have vanished from existence from the look that Mac was now giving him. She was so tired of people calling her a 'geek' or a 'nerd' and not expecting her to know how to have fun. She might be smart and she might be serious about her schooling, but she was also a 19 year old in college who was trying to be as carefree as her inborn need to succeed and her financial situation would allow her to be. She liked to have fun as much as the next person and with the past couple of years she has had she needed to be able to cut lose and act like a teenager dammit!

"Well Richard," She began not really knowing where she was going after that. She waved her hand at him as if to say 'nevermind'. Then she spotted a tray of jello shots on the bar, she'd never done a jello shot before but she figured now was as good a time as any to start. Never taking her eyes of Dick, she reaches over and grabs one, holding it up to Dick in a mock toast and then she downs it in one gulp. The jello shot goes down easy and doesn't burn at all like the previous shot had and it leaves a warm feeling in her stomach. She smiles proudly at Dick and picks up another shot, turning away from him and leaving him staring after her shocked.

_To be continued…_

**Okay so I'm gonna have to cut the party scene at least in half, in not more. There is just so much going on at the party and I don't want the chapters to get too long. I hope you don't mind. Thanks for all the great reviews. Keep reviewing, they mean a lot! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

'_Cause them punks like to hit and quit it_

_And I'd rather stay and play_

'_Cause I'm long and I'm strong_

_And I'm down to get the friction on_

Mac had consumed a few too many jello shots but, of course, being the drunken one, she had no idea that this was the case. Because of this, she was in fact standing on the balcony yelling "College rules!" to the irritated bystanders on the street far below. Logan, still thinking of Veronica's earlier warning quickly rushes to her and tries to get her to come back in. She stumbles, a lot, but lets him lead her through the doors and back to the party.

"Logie, you're so sweet. That's why you and Ronica are perfect together, both hard and crunchy outside, but a marshmallow, MARSHMALLOW on the inside." She explains to him with as serious an expression as someone can have who is drunk out of their mind. Logan smiles at the sentiment, _so Mac is this kind of drunk_, _no slurred speech, just pure nonsense_, he laughs to himself.

"I just don't know why she told me to make you get a girl, no sense at all." Mac shakes her head in confusion, the serious look still on her face.

Logan stops abruptly causing Mac to wobble very severely, he grabs her by the shoulders and turns her so she is facing him. "What do you mean 'she told you to make me get a girl'?"

"What I mean is, I mean, she told me, well she told me." Mac is trying hard to focus on Logan but his face keeps blurring in and out. For some reason a tiny part of her brain is telling her that she shouldn't be telling Logan what Veronica said, but somehow her mouth is not listening to her brain at that moment. "'Keep an eye on Logan for me, make sure he talks to someone nice'" She laughs at her own failed attempt to imitate Veronica. "Ronnie doesn't sound like that." She tells Logan as if he were the one who was trying and failing to sound like the tiny blonde.

Despite his confusion over what Mac is telling him, Logan is still amused by the sweet drunk girl. "No, she doesn't. Now why would she tell you that?"

"Girly chats and pillow fights. But I don't know, the messenger, that's me, I'm just, she still wants you to be happy." Mac's alcohol riddled brain suddenly understands the meaning behind Veronica's earlier words, somehow being drunk has turned on the female intuition that she thought she lacked_. She is dating someone else. _

"A boyfriend, a new one, I think she might have one, a boyfriend." Even as her mouth opens to speak these words her brain is desperately trying to stop them from coming out, she doesn't want to hurt Logan, and if what she thinks is true then Veronica should really be the one to tell him. Somehow the message never gets to her mouth and the look on Logan's face the moment she speaks those words is so heartbreaking that Mac herself has to fight the tears.

"Sorry, I just, I really don't know." She whispers staring at her bare feet; she can't stand to see that look on his face anymore. Logan drops his hands from her shoulders and walks away, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the room.

Just then, Dick bounces over to the couch and jumps on the cushion, "We are so gonna play human spin the bottle for seven minutes in heaven." He announces to the room, and then just as quickly jumps off, leaving the partygoers more than a little confused.

"I don't think that's a real game." Comes the reply from someone off to the side.

Dick immediately jumps back on the couch, "It is now, cause I just made it up and it's my party, so lets do this bitches!" He declares and once again jumps back to the floor. Several people, obviously not excited about the game make their way to the balcony and other scattered places were they can hide in peace.

Dick has already recruited several people including Wallace, Cameryn and the tiny girl he was talking to earlier when he heads over to Mac who is still standing in the exact spot that Logan left her in. "Mac, this is your party too so you gotta play, those are the rules. Hey where'd Logan go?"

Mac just stares at Dick as her brain makes sense of what to her sounded like a bunch of gibberish. "Logan left, I made him sad." Was all her brain could manage to get out.

"How did you make him sad?"

"I did what Ronica told me to do and now, now he's sad cause she is having another one, a boyfriend, not Logan, a different one." Mac is so frustrated that her words aren't coming out like she wants them to that she starts tearing up again.

"Shit! Ronnie screws things up and she isn't even here." Dick's enthusiasm for his newly made up game is temporarily lost at the thought of his best friend hurting over Veronica, again.

Mac wants to defend Veronica and explain to Dick that it is only an assumption she had about her having another boyfriend, but again her brain and mouth aren't communicating so instead she simply says, "Let's play your game! Logan can kiss a girl and forget Ronnie!" Even a drunk Mac knows that this is not likely to happen but she figures it's worth a try and Dick agrees. Preparing for the worst, he starts down the hallway looking for Logan, he finds him coming out of his bedroom just as Dick gets close to it.

"Dude, are you okay, Mac just, well she tried to tell me something about Veronica…"

Logan cuts him off before he can finish, "Are we going to discuss our feelings and shit again, because if we are then I get to be Rosie O'Donnell this time."

Dick takes the hint. "Nope man just wanted to make sure you didn't miss a game of human spin the bottle."

"Perfect, Veronica wants me to meet a nice girl, then lets give her exactly what she wants." Logan plasters a smile on his face and even though Dick knows it's fake he chooses to believe that it is real and he gives him one in return.

"Then let's do it!"

When they get back to the living room the only people who look to be participating in their impromptu game are Wallace, Cameryn, the tiny blonde named Kyleigh, a very drunk Mac, that Sutcliff guy that Dick never liked and a voluptuous brunette who has been giving Logan the eye all night.

"Okay so here are the rules." Dick says spinning a tie that he had grabbed from his room on his way back with Logan.

"You have rules for a game that you just made up?" Cameryn questions obviously not afraid to speak her mind at a party where she only knows two people.

"Yes, hot girl whose name I don't know, and this is what they are. Number one, no peeking. Number two, no dude on dude. Number three, you don't have to use all seven minutes but you can't go past it. Number four, no peeking. Number five, that's it, just four simple rules." They all agree to the rules and Wallace volunteers to go first. As Dick ties the tie around Wallace's eyes he makes sure that he can still see, the guy hasn't had the best of luck with the ladies; he figures he'll help him out a little. No one is surprised when Wallace's spinning body stops and his outstretched finger lands just to the left of Cameryn's shoulder. They head down the hall to Logan's room, the designated "heaven" spot.

"So," Wallace stammers suddenly losing his cool as Cameryn shuts the door behind them.

"Yeah, so are all of Dick Casablancas' parties like this?" Cameryn takes a seat on Logan's bed and Wallace joins her.

Wallace thinks back to the parties he himself has been at and the ones that Veronica has told him about and he laughs. "Yeah, basically."

"Well I guess now I'm prepared if we ever go to another one." She says to Wallace, giving him a flirtatious grin.

That little look was all Wallace needed to get his confidence back, without thinking he leans over and kisses her lightly on the mouth. He is afraid that he has pushed it too far but she just smiles at him and stands up from the bed. She stops with her hand on the doorknob and looks back at Wallace still sitting on the bed. "I'm sorry but my mama taught me to always leave them wanting more." And with that she walks out the door, leaving Wallace staring after her retreating form, _damn,_ is all he can think.

When Wallace finally emerges from the room, Logan is already standing in the middle of the circle with the tie covering his eyes. His spinning lands him in between Tanner and the voluptuous brunette, _thank god for Dick's rules_, he thinks as he closes his bedroom door. The instant he turns around the girl has jumped on him wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing her mouth firmly on his.

"Hmmphh." He tries to speak but she is having none of it, she presses down more firmly. He finally succeeds in getting her legs off of his waist and back on the ground, he gently but firmly pushes her away from him. "Whoa slow it down there tiger."

"I know what I want and I go for it." Is all she says before trying to kiss him again.

"Okay seriously you've got to stop. I've got a," He stops himself from saying 'girlfriend' since obviously he doesn't, he has a girl that he loves, a girl that is thousands of miles away and who is presumably dating someone else, a girl who probably doesn't think twice about him when she is fooling around with her new boyfriend. "Screw it." He says grabbing her and sticking his tongue in her mouth. She tastes like stale beer and morning breath even though it is night, and it isn't good, not even a little. For some reason it makes him think of hooking up with Kendall the first time he and Veronica had broken up so he pushes her away again. "Go home." He tells her opening the door, leaving no room for her to argue.

Logan follows her through the penthouse making sure she actually leaves then goes back to the circle in the living room. Tanner is now the one standing in the middle and his finger stops on Mac, who even in her drunken state, has to hide a look of disgust as she follows him to Logan's room.

"Don't worry, Cindy I'll talk you through it." He says grabbing her waist and pulling her toward him.

"No, not that drunk, not kissing you." Mac's buzz has started to wear off slightly and she is aware enough to know that Tanner Sutcliff is the last person she wants to make out with in a darkened bedroom.

"That's okay, have another drink." He says pulling out a flask and holding it to her lips. He tilts it up and some of the cold liquid goes up her nose causing her to choke. She spits out what little made it into her mouth.

"ASSHOLE!" She screams bringing her knee up to his groin hard and fast, he doubled over in pain dropping the flask to the floor. As it sits there seeping onto Logan's carpet she opens the door and yells to her friends, "Make him leave."

"You fucking bitch!" Tanner is screaming at her as Logan, Wallace and Dick appear in the doorway. The protective side of all three boys is turned on as they hear him cursing at her, it's one thing to swear about a girl, it's entirely different to do it _at_ them, especially a nice girl like Mac.

"You really shouldn't have said that." Logan says angrily, picking him up by the scruff of his neck. Dick reaches out and grabs the other side, dragging him down the hall.

Wallace turns and looks at Mac trying to figure out what happened. "You okay girl?"

Mac fights hard to make her words come out right this time. "He choked me, with the liquor; I said I wouldn't kiss him."

Wallace gets the gist of what Mac is trying to tell him and he is thankful that Tanner has already been escorted out, otherwise he would have had to make him regret trying to force Mac to do anything. "You wanna stop playing, I'm sure Dick would understand, even he's not that clueless." Wallace states, although, he isn't entirely sure.

Despite what had just happened, Mac was actually having fun, something she hasn't done in a long time, she doesn't want to stop now, and unfortunately it's not the first time Tanner has tried to get a little too friendly with her, it probably wouldn't be the last either. "Having fun, my turn now." She replies cheerfully, all thoughts of the last three minutes erased from her head.

Mac doesn't know what to think when she removes the blindfold from her eyes to find herself pointing straight at Dick. She can tell from the look on his face that he doesn't know what to think either. By the time they reach Logan's bedroom she has almost talked herself out of going through with is. Her drunken brain is having an argument with itself and she isn't sure which side is winning. Is it the side that is telling her it's creepy and weird because it's Dick and he's a man whore not to mention the brother of her dead ex-boyfriend, or is it the side that simply says he's hot, and leaves it at that.

Her inner argument is interrupted by Dick's voice. "Don't worry about it Mac, I mean, ya know, it's weird right cause Beaver, I don't wanna like corrupt you or anything. Far be it from me to take advantage of the drunk girl. Well I mean the truly drunk girl, not the normal drunk girls who aren't really drunk just pretending to be 'cause then they feel less guilty about all the crap that they do, those girls will let you do anything cause they think they can blame the liquor in the morning."

Mac just stares at him while he gives this speech thinking it just may be the most she has ever heard him say at once. "Stop talking." She tells him in her firmest voice.

He either doesn't hear her or chooses to ignore her since he keeps rambling. "I mean I know you're not that type of girl, you're a good girl, not a drunken hoochie girl. Like a sweet girl."

Mac has heard enough, she stomps her foot down on the carpet like a child having a tantrum. "Stop, so sick of people thinking, god, sweet not boring!" And before she can stop herself the simple part or her brain has taken over, she marches over to Dick and grabs his neck pulling him down closer to her. His mouth opens slightly like he wants to say something but she stops him with her own mouth.

Dick is so stunned by the kiss that he actually forgets to breath for a second. He doesn't know what surprises more, that she initiated the kiss or that she is such an incredible kisser. Something in his brain is telling him that this is not that smart of a thing to do, but who has ever accused Dick Casablancas of being that smart? He moves to put his hands in her hair, but just as quickly as she started the kiss she stops it, pulling back from him with a look of accomplishment on her face. She turns and walks out the door without saying a word as Dick stands still, having momentarily forgotten how to walk.

Logan and Wallace watch Mac appear alone from Logan's bedroom and they see a look on her face that neither has ever seen before. Though neither one could describe exactly what type of look it was, Logan felt it would be akin to the shit-eating grin that his father always was accusing him of having. When Dick emerged a few moments later again Wallace was at a loss to describe exactly what the look on his face was. He felt it was a look of pure fascination and wonderment. Logan, however knew that look, he'd seen that same exact look on his face after the first time that Veronica had kissed him.

As Dick walks up to him, he pats him cheerfully on the back. "How was it dude?"

"Man….damn….just damn." He whispers to Logan as he looks back toward Mac who has reclaimed her spot in the circle and is giving everybody her own patented innocent girl smile.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Please, please, please don't hate me! And I apologize to those of you who don't like angst because there is going to be a lot of that from here on out.**

**Chapter 6**

_Pajamas. Tanner. Jello shots. Jello shots. Lots of jello shots. Logan's sad face. Dick jumping on the couch. Wallace. Cameryn. Tanner on the floor. Dick looking surprised. _As Mac slowly wakes up images from the night before come flooding into her brain but none of them stick together to form any coherent thought. She lifts herself up on her elbows and instantly regrets that decision. The sudden movement coupled with the bright sunlight streaming through the window beside her bed results in a migraine and a very saucy feeling down in the pit of her stomach. She collapses back on the bed and covers her head with the large down comforter to keep the sun from her eyes. _Wait, what? _Fear sets in as she realizes that neither does she have a large down comforter on her bed nor a window to the side of said bed.

"Dear God, please tell me I didn't become a drunk-college girl cliché and lose it to some random guy at a party." She whispers to herself then whinces at her insensitivity remembering that is almost exactly what happened to Veronica at Shelley's party a few years ago. She quickly scanned her body with her hands and was pleased to discover she was still fully clothed, well fully dressed in her pajamas, as her regular clothes were still presumably folded nicely and set in the corner of Dick Casablancas' bedroom where she had laid them last night. At this thought, she slowly peeks her eyes from the protective shade of the comforter, trying to figure where in the hell she was exactly.

_Jello shots. Bathroom. Vomit. Logan helping her to his bed. _Ah, Logan, with Veronica out of state he had to have an outlet for his knight in shining armor complex. Lucky Veronica, he really was a good guy. For some reason that she can't explain, thinking about Logan and Veronica makes her very sad and she feels herself wanting to cry. Logan's heartbroken face appears in her head again. _Why, why was Logan so sad?_

Despite the protest from both her stomach and her head, she slowly eases herself off the bed and heads to the adjoining bathroom. After taking care of morning necessities and making herself as human as possible she decides to finally submit to her almost walk of shame out of Logan's bedroom.

She enters the living room to find it empty, but the TV is on and it is obvious that someone had slept on the couch. She wanders to the kitchen to get a drink of water and she finds a cold bottle of Gatorade and some ibuprofen sitting on the counter. Logan's voice from behind her makes her jump a little. "I was gonna leave it on the nightstand but I didn't want to scare you."

"Thanks Logan and thanks for letting me crash in your bed. Sorry you had to sleep on the couch." She says shyly, their actual friendship is still so new she isn't sure what the proper protocol is after everything that must have happened last night, mainly the puking and sleeping in his bed part.

He can sense her discomfort and wants to put her at ease, her innocence reminds him a lot of Veronica before everything happened. "Hey don't sweat it, who's gonna argue with a beautiful half naked girl in their bed?"

Mac knows he is joking, knows he trying to make her feel not so awkward and she is incredibly thankful for his thoughtfulness. _Logan's hands on her shoulders, his heartbroken face. Him asking something about Veronica. _She shakes the thoughts from her head and walks back to the living room to plop herself unceremoniously on the couch.

When Logan joins her seconds later she looks derisively from the TV screen and back to him, her eyebrows raised in question. "Um Logan, were you watching a marathon of Saved by the Bell?"

"It reminds me of a simpler time." He answers his tone only mock serious but daring her to laugh at him. She does anyway, she can't help it. Who would have thought pretty boy rich 09er Logan Echolls would have a soft spot for cheesy 90's teenage melodrama.

"Sweet, is this episode where Jesse takes all those pills and then starts dancing all crazy and falls all over Zach?" Mac and Logan simultaneously turn towards the hallway were Dick is now standing, still half naked but wearing different boxers than the night before and the paint on his chest having mostly been rubbed off. _Dick standing on the couch. Dick looking after her in shock. _She is not sure why but she has an incredibly uncomfortable feeling come over her as she watches Dick enter the living room. He must have mistaken her discomfort for something else because he gives her the tiniest half grin, she feels herself blush and quickly looks back at the TV. When she looks back at him the moment is gone and he too is staring at the TV.

"Nope this is the prom episode." Logan says as Dick disappears into the kitchen. He returns with a bottle of water and joins them on the couch, sitting himself catty-corner from Mac. He is curious to see what kind of morning after drunk she is.

Dick's sudden scrutiny completely unnerves Mac, after a few moments of trying to ignore him she glares at him coldly. "What are you looking at Casablancas?" Her still raging headache causes her words to come out harsher than she had thought herself capable of.

Dick is not at all offended at her tone, in fact he finds it highly amusing. "Just trying to remember what it was like to wake up in the morning and not find you sitting on my couch, Mackenzie." She must not handle hangovers well he figures, either that or she regrets kissing him in Logan's bedroom last night. But the look in her eyes holds no sort of regret, or even any type of acknowledgement that anything had in fact happened last night. _She doesn't remember. _He expects himself to be thrilled at this realization, after all it was Mac and there was a list of about a hundred reasons not to go there not least of which was the fact that she had been his little brothers only love, best not to go thinking down that road this early in the dau. Never mind the fact that she wasn't his type at all. So if that was true why was he so offended that she didn't remember a kiss that he himself was trying to forget?

The three of them sat in companionable silence as they watched the remainder of the infamous episode. Logan was about to suggest a championship game of Halo, something he knew that the computer nerd side of Mac would enjoy, when she suddenly launched herself off of the couch.

"Oh my god! I'm gonna be so late, my mom is going to kill me!" Logan mutes the TV as both guys look at Mac curiously.

"You're late, you're late, you're late, for a very important date?" Logan teases.

"Uh oh, maybe her carriage is gonna turn back into a pumpkin." Dick adds in the same teasing manner.

"For your information, I have a wedding to go to and if I'm late, my mother will probably personally escort me to the ninth circle of hell." Mac stops, considering this for a second. "Although, going to this wedding is going to be a lot like the ninth circle of hell already." Logan understands the metaphor and laughs sympathetically, while Dick just sits there looking more than a little confused.

"It's been my experience that most weddings fall somewhere between the second and third circles of hell."

"That's because you've never been to a Mackenzie family wedding. Especially when my self-centered and conniving cousin Becca is the bridezilla du jour." Mac explains bitterly while Dick is still trying to make sense of all the circles of hell talk.

"Yes, but, wedding means open bar and open bar means no carding."

"Yeah, after last night I think it'll be awhile before this party girl has another drink. I don't need to have to explain why I decided it would be a good idea to girls gone wild the wedding videographer."

All Dick has to hear are the words 'open bar' and he is on his feet bouncing excitedly to where Mac is still standing in the middle of the living room. "Where did you say this joyous occasion was taking place?"

"Ironically enough it's in the ballroom, downstairs." Mac notices the look on both boys faces and has a sneaking suspicion as to what is going to happen next.

Dick and Logan briefly look at each other then simultaneously start jumping up and down. "Can we go please; we'll be good we promise. Please Mackie, please, please, please!" They ask in unison. Mac's first instinct is to say no, but the prospect of attending the surely insipid party alone is too much for her to handle.

"Only to the reception, they won't notice you there. Do not show up any earlier than seven o'clock and please wear something nice. If anybody asks you're wedding crashers. You did NOT come with me." She looks from one to the other, waiting for them to nod their heads in agreement with her ground rules. With that she turns to walk down the hallway to retrieve her clothes from Dick's bedroom.

"Whoa Mackie, whatcha doing?" Mac stops short, her hand inches away from his door handle, she slowly turns to come face to face with Dick less than a foot away from her.

"Um, getting my clothes, I left them in here last night, remember?"

"Why don't you let me get them?" He questions nonchalantly as he maneuvers his hand in between hers and the handle.

She eyes him quizzically and pushes her way past him, she opens the door and turns back toward him. "No thanks, I got it, I need change back into them anyway." She says shutting the door in his face. _ What is with him today? _She quickly finds her clothes and pulls them on over her pajamas, not caring that it makes her clothes fit lumpy. She is dressed and out of the room in less than two minutes, never once seeing the naked, blonde figure buried deep underneath Dick's own fluffy down comforter.

Logan turns his attention to Dick as he hears the front door click closed behind Mac. "So we gonna talk about it?"

Even though Dick knows exactly what he best friend is talking about he fakes cluelessness. "If by 'it' you mean the birds and the bees, I think you're a little late cause dude, my dad gave me that talk like ten years ago." He rolls his eyes at Logan.

"Yeah the birds and the bees about what happened between you and Mac last night at the party."

"Um, she got plastered, we played a kissing game and she kissed me. You were there, keep up." Dick couldn't hold back his growing irritation at the fact that Mac didn't seem to acknowledge kissing him last night. Plus, he was downright choosing to ignore how his stomach clenched painfully when Mac went into his bedroom; sure she was going to come out screaming at him, outraged to find the naked girl in his bed. But she didn't remember the kiss and she either didn't see Kyleigh or didn't care that she was there, and that was good because he was Dick and he was just having fun, he was all about the fun. I mean come one, it couldn't be as good of a kiss as he remembered, he was more than a little tipsy so he's sure his beer goggles made it seem better than it actually was.

"Come on Dick, cut the bullshit, I'm just asking you a question. I saw the look on your face when you came out of my room last night, it was like you just discovered the Olsen twins were really triplets."

"Are they? Cause dude…" Dick begins but cuts himself off when he sees the serious look on Logan's face. "It just surprised me is all. I didn't expect it to be so…..hot. I was trying to tell her we didn't have to cause I know she's not that type of girl, I mean I know she's all innocent and whatever, and she just grabs me, pulls me to her and kisses me, so NOT innocently dude. And then she's done and she walks away. I'm a just a guy, what is she thinking starting something like that and then walking away? Chicks man, they're cruel."

"This is Mac we're talking about, I seriously doubt she was trying to leave you blue."

Dick scoffs at this, "Whatever dude, it doesn't matter cause I'm not blue now."

As if on cue the bedroom door opens and out walks Kyleigh fully clothed and looking as perky as ever. She bounces over to Dick and positions herself on his lap. "Morning Richard. Did you sleep good last night?" She asks giving his cheek a quick peck.

_Richard_? Logan mouths, Dick waves him off and plants a big wet kiss on her lips. Logan is considering the need for him to leave when Kyleigh's cell phone rings. She disentangles herself from Dick and holds it to her ear. "Yeah I'm on my way right now, I promise. Yes, I know….well tell him to wear the green one then. Okay bye." After ending the call she gives Dick another quick peck and bounces her way out the door.

Neither one speaks for a few seconds, finally Logan breaks the silence. "Well Richard, _did_ you sleep well last night?"

"Like a baby, thank you for asking." Dick is relieved to be away from the 'Mac and the kiss that was not expected' topic at last.

"When was the last time you woke up _without _a strange girl in your bed Dick?"

"I dunno, when was the last time you woke up _with_ one?" Dick instantly regrets his remark, of course, Madison Sinclair, the reason why Ronnie broke up with him the last time. "Sorry dude it just slipped."

"Que sera and whatever," Logan tries to joke but Dick can see the regret in his eyes. That look, right there covering his best friend, hell his brothers, face, is the reason why Dick only likes to have fun. When you're just having fun you never feel what Logan is feeling right now, regret for one, Dick has had enough regret to last for awhile. Logan can have his 'epic' relationship with Veronica, he can have the constant arguing and the feeling like crap and the desperate hopeless feeling when it all goes to hell, because it always does he knows because he's been there to help Logan pick up the pieces every time it does. Logan can have all that and Dick will have the fun, the random meaningless hookups with girls who don't like to play videogames or who shock you into silence with their unexpected kissing abilities.

**Downstairs in the lobby…**

Mac has almost reached the giant glass door when she hears her mother's voice behind her. "Thank god you're here Mac you have to start getting ready soon." She stops and looks from the door to Mac puzzled, "Wait, when did you get here?"

Mac clenches her teeth, not ready to lie to her mother, again. "I just got here, my friend dropped me off. I was looking for you."

"I'm right here, we need to go upstairs and get you ready. The dress is already in the room and your cousin Clint is setting up to do everyone's hair and makeup. Becca was so upset that you weren't here for the bridesmaid's breakfast that she put you in charge of disposable camera distribution and retrieval." Mac's mother explains, steering her back in the direction of the elevator she had just gotten off of.

"So did you figure out the sleeping arrangements last night? No more girls in boy's rooms I hope." For a second Mac thinks she is referring to her own sleeping arrangement the night before, then she remembers the lie she had told her mother.

"Uh, yeah, it's all taken care of. It took almost all night, I just crashed at the IT office."

"Oh Cindy, I hope you got enough rest, today is going to be a long day." She gives Mac a concerned look.

"You have no idea." Mac replies thinking of her agreement with Dick and Logan to crash the reception.

"What's that dear?" Before Mac can answer the elevator doors ding open. Mac vaguely recognizes the perky blonde who is revealed by the opening of the doors, though she can't figure out why.

"Oh hey, Mac, right? That was so much fun last night right?" Kyleigh questions enthusiastically, missing the look of pure terror that comes across brunette's face.

"Yeah, fun working on those computers, fixing other people's mistakes. Hey I'll talk to you later." Mac almost runs onto the elevator, dragging her mom with her and frantically pushing the door close button.

"She seems sweet."

Mac can hear the question in her mother's statement and she fumbles for another believable lie, it's a good thing she has a best friend like Veronica Mars, Ms. Pull-it-out-of-thin-air herself. "Oh that's one of the IT guy's girlfriends' she came by last night to visit, brought us some food and stuff." She studiously looks everywhere but at her mom, who must decide that is a plausible enough story because a few moments later she hears her turn head back forward. She makes a mental note to talk to Dick and Logan and have them watch what they say in front of her family members later that night, maybe she can keep the lies to a minimum that way, then they'll be easier to remember.

As they reach their floor the elevator dings loudly. Mac braces herself for the drama that the next couple of hours are sure to contain, she sneaks a sideways glance at her mom who appears to be doing the exact same thing.

"Are you ready?" Her mom asks putting her arm around Mac's shoulders.

"Not even a little bit." Finally, something that wasn't a lie.

"Me either, now let's go." Her mother replies cheerfully and they get off the elevator and head toward the room.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N : Okay so here is an extra long chapter for all those of you asking, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Keep those reviews coming, good or bad please! **

**Chapter 7**

Mac examines herself carefully in the floor length mirror, she is surprised that she is happy with what she sees. The dress is a rich royal blue silk that really sets her eyes off, the tea-length skirt hits her calf at the perfect spot to emphasize her shapely legs, the halter ties at her neck leaving her back bare and dips down in front just enough to keep it interesting without giving anyone too much of an eyeful. Of course, none of these were Mac's words, it was what the saleslady at the bridal shop had described when she was trying to convince Becca that it was the perfect bridesmaid dress for her. Mac was even satisfied with her hair which had been left down but pinned back in a way that her purple stripes didn't show, no matter how much Becca had begged she would not agree to dying her hair 'normal' for the wedding.

During the ceremony, Mac had temporarily forgotten about her agreement with the guys, instead she focused all her energy into not tripping down the aisle, not giggling during the vows and not holding her walking partners arm too tight on the trip back down the aisle. When it was all over she was very pleased with herself that she had only laughed once when Jason, the groom, messed up during the vows and had to ask the Officiant to repeat the line again.

With toasts given, entrees served and cake cut it was finally time to begin the dancing, Mac was planning a quick escape to the exit when she looked up from her plate and saw Dick and Logan standing in the entryway wearing, what else, but tuxedos. She rolls her eyes and quickly stands up gesturing them over to her before anyone notices them standing there looking lost and questions their presence.

As they make their way over to Mac's table Logan nudges Dick with his elbow as he nods his head in Mac's direction. "Now think about her kissing you like she did while wearing that dress."

Dick jerks his arm away from Logan and glares at him from under his shaggy blond hair. "Funny dude. I told you it was just a kiss, plus I don't even think she remembers it."

"Little upset about that are we?" Logan can't help but tease his good friend, his reaction to Mac is highly entertaining. Besides it is giving him something to keep his mind off of Veronica and whatever or whoever she is doing in Virginia.

Dick doesn't respond to Logan's teasing instead giving him an icy glare. But he does have to agree, if Mac looked cute sexy last night wearing guys underclothes, then tonight, in that dress, she just looks hot, like a grown woman and not a nerdy college girl. _Fun,_ Dick reminds himself_, I just want to have fun. _

"Good thing you guys finally got here, I was just about to sneak out the back way. If one more person asks me why I didn't bring a date with me I swear I'm gonna kill-" Mac stops realizing just where she is and who she is talking to. No one says anything for a while as they all look awkwardly at each other and then away again. Finally Mac has to break the silence. "So, you guys don't feel weird at all being at a wedding where you don't know anybody?" She asks noticing some wedding guests eying the boys curiously.

"We know you." They reply in unison.

"Yeah but only me, don't you feel all the unfriendly stares coming at you from every corner?"

"It's not like this is our first wedding to crash, we're used to it." Dick answers cheerfully.

"So should I start calling you Vince and Owen?"

Both guys ponder this for a moment, "Only if I get to be Vince Vaughn, I think I've got that whole dramatic yet goofy thing going on." Comes Logan's response.

"Dude remember that one wedding we went to where instead of saying 'I do' the groom declared his love for the best man so the bride screwed his dad in the bathroom, then his mom went in there and caught them and she tried to light the bride's veil on fire but the bride threw the bouquet at her head and the maid of honor tackled them both to the ground. Then the cops came and everyone had to leave just as it was getting good." Dick shakes his head apparently regretting the missed opportunity to sleep with the bride.

Mac laughs despite herself, "That did NOT happen." She says disbelieving. She turns to Logan who nods his head yes.

"It did actually. But you forgot the part where the flower girl and ring bearer got into a food fight with the cake. Best. Wedding. Ever."

Mac shakes her head she doesn't know what to say to follow a story like that one. Unfortunately she is saved from having to think of something to top it by the arrival of the bride herself. "Oh my god Cindy, you have to come dance everyone in the wedding party has to." Mac starts to refuse but Becca grabs her by the hand and yanks her to the dance floor. "We're gonna do the electric slide!" She yells over Mac's protests.

Dick purposely turns away from the dance floor and looks at Logan so he can't say anything about him staring at Mac while she is dancing, although he is curious to see if she can dance, the way she keeps popping up with these random talents he wouldn't be surprised if she was the best dancer on the floor. Logan takes note of the pointed movement but decides against saying anything, choosing to sit back the rest of the night and simply be an observer.

Mac is flushed when she returns to the table and smiling, but when the band starts to play some cheesy love song her smile fades and she slumps in her chair. "And I was just starting to have fun."

"Ah come on how can you not love this song, it's like, oh my god, SO sweet." Logan says in his best girly voice pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

"Do that again, you just totally sounded like my cousin Clint." Mac laughs gesturing across the room to the flamboyant guy wearing a sequin cummerbund. "He's totally the black sheep of our family."

The guys look to where she is gesturing and Dick gives her a sideways glance, "Because he's gay?" It was a question not a statement.

"No." Mac replies faking offense, "Because he only scored a 1500 on the SATs."

Dick chokes on the glass of water he was drinking, spewing it across the table at Mac. "1500? Isn't that a good score?"

"Not for a Mackenzie."

"Holy shit, what did you score?" Dick asks her incredulously.

"Um, only just a little higher." She stammers suddenly feeling embarrassed. "What did you score?"

"Not a 1500 that's for damn sure." Dick shakes his head and picks his glass up again, realizes it's now empty and sets it back down, trying to avoid Mac's eyes. He knows everybody knows that he isn't that smart but he isn't about to admit to the human encyclopedia just how un-smart he really is. "So how bout them Yankees?" He jokes as Logan's cell phone rings and he excuses himself to take it, excited to see that it is Veronica.

"That bad huh?" Mac questions.

"Seriously lets talk about something else. Like why that crazy looking woman in the purple dress keeps eying me like the last French fry."

Mac turns her head to see who he is talking about, sure enough she spots one of her aunts staring at Dick from a couple tables away, her look alternating between 'who the hell is that?' and 'please tell me he's 18'. "That crazy lady is my aunt Katharine and she's a total cougar." As soon as the words are out of her mouth the crazy lady in question stands up and makes a beeline for their table. Mac jumps to her feet and grabs Dick's hand, pulling him toward the dance floor. "Dance with me, don't let her talk to you. She may never leave you alone."

Mac is regretting her hasty decision as soon as they are standing on the dance floor as she looks up at Dick she is feeling the same unexplainable awkwardness that she felt earlier that morning. Unsure of where to put her hands she finally settles them on his shoulders and she can feel his move around her waist. They are silent until the song changes into one that Mac recognizes.

_Wish enough, wise man'll tell you a lie  
Window broke, torn up screens  
Who'd have thought that you'd dream  
Of a single tragic scene _

"Wow, I actually like this song." She says glad for the other cheesy song to be over.

"Hey I know this song, it's in that movie, the one with the guy whose dad dies so he goes to New Jersey and he's got a motorcycle sidecar thingy. Which by the way was NOT a book before it was a movie." _  
_

_I just wanna sing a song with you  
I just want to take it off of you_

Mac laughs, her awkward feeling gone. "Yeah that was a good movie, and this is a good song. It's sweet." She rolls her eyes at herself realizing what she just said.

_Cause Blue Eyes  
You are all that I need  
Cause Blue Eyes  
You're the sweet to my mean  
_

"Oh my god Mac, you're such a girl." Dick teases looking down at her and immediately wishes he hadn't, for one his height advantage is giving him quit a show down her barely covering 'the girls' dress, he's already having a hard enough time not thinking about the kiss and this is surely not helping. The way she feels under his hands isn't helping either all soft and tiny and girly and completely un-Mac like. His earlier conversation with Logan plays in his brain again and he is glad that his friend is not here to witness this, Dick is sure that Logan would have some smart ass comment about the way he is looking at Mac right now. "This song could be about you." Dick says if only to talk about something so that certain thoughts don't keep going through his brain._  
_

_Fess it up, dot on the palm of your hand  
I can help you to stand  
Saved it up for this dance  
Tell me all the things you can_

__"Umm, why?" She asks.

"I mean just cause your eyes, they're like all blue and all. You match the lyrics. I mean your eyes do." Real smooth Casablancas, Dick thinks to himself.

_I just wanna sing a song with you  
I just wanna be the one that's true_

Mac is unsure what to say to this and the awkward feeling is coming back. She pretends to be very interested in something just to the side of Dick's shoulder_. Logan's dark bedroom. Dick rambling. Her getting frustrtated._ More images from the night before come flooding into her brain. She promises herself that she is never getting that drunk again, one whole night of her life that was erased by alcohol is more than enough.

_Cause Blue Eyes  
You're the secret I keep  
Cause Blue Eyes_

It is Dick's turn to feel awkward as he tries to look anywhere but down at Mac and thinks about baseball, cars and Mac's aunt Katharine naked, anything so that he isn't thinking about Mac. He is a love 'em and leave 'em type of guy and Mac is almost the exact opposite of that. He knows that she would never go for a one night stand type thing and he wouldn't be able to give her anything more. Not that she would want more, as far as he knows she hasn't had a single thought about him going past this dance right now and it's pretty obvious she doesn't remember a thing about kissing him last night. Dick is so irritated at having to constantly remind himself not to think about Mac in that way, that he doesn't realize how much closer he has pulled her towards him.

_All the lights on and you are alive  
But you can't point the way to your heart  
So sublime, when the stars are aligned  
But you don't know  
You don't know the greatness you are_

Mac can feel Dick ever so slowly bring her body closer to his, her instincts tell her to pull back, her brain tells her to remember who this is, Dick Casablancas, man-whore, older brother to her dead ex-boyfriend, drunk, goofy, irresponsible, Dick Casablancas. But some part of her, deep and primal, buried way down there won't let her body do it, in fact it causes her to bring her body that much closer to his.

_Cause Blue Eyes  
You are destiny's scene  
Cause Blue Eyes  
I just wanna be the one_

Dick feels her body suddenly that much closer to him and he looks down at her surprised. He opens his mouth to say something, make a joke or ask a question, anything really, but nothing comes out. There she is so beautiful in her dress looking up at him with those big blue eyes of hers and all he can think about is how it felt when she kissed him, how instantly his body had reacted to her touch. _Don't go there_, he tells himself. Wanting to put her back at arms length but not being able to bring himself to move her from where she is.

_I just wanna sing a song with you  
I just wanna get it on with you  
_

Mac can feel the sudden tension in Dick's body and she finally allows herself to look up at him again. She is about to ask him what is wrong when more images assail her brain. _Her marching up to Dick. Her grabbing Dick by the neck and kissing him. Her walking away, a giant smile on her face. _She can feel her face flame red and she wishes she was indeed in the ninth circle of hell, anywhere but here actually. She desperately wants to turn and run away but she doesn't want to cause a scene. How could she be so stupid? She kissed Dick? She kissed Cassidy's brother? No wonder he was giving her such a weird look this morning, he probably feels sorry for her. She wonders how it compared to the countless other girls that Dick has kissed, it probably doesn't even register on the same scale. 

_Cause Blue Eyes  
You're the secret I keep  
Cause Blue Eyes  
I just wanna sing a song with you…_

Dick and Mac are both so thankful that the song is over they don't even notice that Logan has returned and his watching them with a delighted look on his face. They make their way over to the table not saying a word.

"Well if that wasn't a Kodak moment than I don't know what is." Logan comments, scooting away from Dick just in time so as to avoid a back hand to the face.

Mac is about to utter a few choice words at Logan but is stopped by the sudden appearance of her mother. "Cindy there you are, I'm so glad I found you." She begins then looks quizzically at Logan and Dick. "And who are your friends?"

Mac briefly considers lying, but her mind is still reeling from the latest information it recalled to think of anything. At this point she doesn't even care enough anymore to lie. "Logan Echolls, Dick Casablancas, this is Natalie Mackenzie, my mother." The look on her mom' s face tells Mac that she registers the significance of the name Casablancas but she chooses not to comment on it and Mac is grateful. "They're some friends of mine, they were bored tonight so I invited them to come to the reception."

"Well it's nice to meet you Logan, Dick. Cindy can I speak with you for a moment?" She asks though Mac can tell it isn't really a question, more like a summons. She follows her mom to the corner of the ballroom certain she is about to be berated for inviting two random guys to the party without prior approval.

"Sorry mom, I just really didn't want to come to this and Logan is so bummed about Veronica being gone." Mac begins to apologize but her mother waves her away.

"Oh I don't care who you invite, I'm just glad you actually came and you wore a dress, besides your uncle Eddie is paying for the wedding so I say the more the merrier. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about though. See the thing is, my cousin Michael and his wife and kids came down here from San Francisco, they were just gonna rent a room and drive back in the morning, but the hotel screwed up the reservations and now they have nowhere to stay."

"Okay, you want me to hack into the hotels computer and get them a room?" Mac asks unsure why her mother is telling her this.

"Of course not, they are going to stay with us, but that is going to fill the house pretty full. Do you think you could find somewhere else to stay tonight?" Again this is not so much a question as a demand.

Mac glances over at Logan and Dick who appear to be in the middle of a very serious conversation. "Um…yeah..."She answers slowly, "I think I can figure something out."

"Oh wonderful Cindy, you're such a sweet girl, we'll make it up to you I promise." With that her mom gives her a hug and leaves her standing alone by the wall.

Mac slowly walks back to her table trying to figure out why the guys look so contemplative all of the sudden. When she reaches the table and sits down they stop talking, Logan looks at her concerned.

" Are we in trouble?"

"Oh no, I'm just being kicked out of my room. My family is staying with us and I have to find somewhere else to go cause there's not enough space." Mac explains racking her brain as to who she is going to ask to crash on their couch, thinking of her aunt Katharine and instantly dismissing the idea.

Logan looks to Dick and kicks him under the table. Dick attempts to kick him back but misses and kicks the chair opposite him, sending it skidding into the next table that is thankfully empty at the moment. He glowers at Logan and shakes his head 'no'.

"You can always stay with us again, there's plenty of room, plus room service." Logan suggests, moving his legs before Dick can try to kick him again.

Mac blushes at the suggestion and sneaks a glance at Dick who is suddenly enthralled by the tablecloth in front of him. She should say 'no' mainly because her parents would kill her if they ever found out, but she really has no better options at this point.

"Are you sure? I can find somewhere else, I mean I think Clint has a spare bedroom."

"Of course, Dick can sleep on the sofa this time and you can sleep in his bed." Logan whinces as Dick actually makes contact with his shin this time.

"Great well I'm just about done here so whenever you two are done wedding crashing I'm good to go." Mac ignores the sudden feeling of dread coming from the pit of her stomach. The band starts playing another cheesy love song as the three make their way to the ball room doors being careful to avoid being seen by Mac's mother.

**An hour later…**

Mac is not sure how this happened. Her and Logan were just sitting at the bar having a friendly conversation when Dick suddenly rushes down the hall exclaiming that they should play a drinking game. Wanting to remove the awkwardness that had settled over the group since Dick and Mac danced downstairs she reluctantly agreed. Now they are all sitting on the floor in the living room playing a game called "Kings Cup" that Mac had never heard of before, not that she was surprised, she's not exactly the drinking game type of girl.

Dick gestures to Mac indicating that it is her turn so she picks up the card closest to her and frowns at it when she see the number 6 meaning that all girls must drink. She raises her glass to the guys and takes a swallow. Logan goes next and flips over an 8 and smiles deviously at Mac. "Never have I ever come up with a schoolwide purity test that resulted in more than five ended relationships."

Mac blushes and takes another small drink. "I can't believe Veronica told you that."

"Shit that was you?" Dick asks impressed.

"Yeah well." Was all Mac says. As happy as getting her new car made her it really wasn't her proudest moment.

Dick looks at her with amazement for a moment before flipping over a card, it's the king of hearts so he grabs the big glass in the middle of the table and gulps it down. Now it's Mac's turn again and she flips over a jack. "Characters from Saved By the Bell! Zack!" She yells the alcohol having done its job of removing the awkwardness.

"Kelly!" Logan adds, more than a little tipsy himself.

"Jesse" Dicks nods pleased with himself.

"Slater." Mac says after only the briefest hesitation.

"Mr. Belding."

"Urkel." Dick adds sounding so sure of himself.

"Wrong show turbo, drink up." Logan remarks lifting Dick's cup up to his mouth. Mac finds this action so funny she leans over on the floor and starts laughing hysterically. Dick and Logan are amused by the sight of her laughing on the floor still wearing her bridesmaid dress.

"I so can't get up." Mac announces after she has calmed down, which results in all of the them bursting out in uncontrollable laughter once again. "I'm serious." She chides them, pulling herself up on the couch and curling herself into a ball.

"Guess the game is over." Logan says picking up the cards in one hand as Dick grabs the cups and they both head to the kitchen. Logan puts the cards away and Dick dumps the trash in the can, then they both sigh and lean against the counter. Logan looks over at Dick and takes in the smile on his face.

"Someone took their happy pills this morning." He says sarcastically.

Dick quietly walks over to were Mac is laying on the couch curled up, he bends down to her and gently shakes her shoulder, noticing her slow even breathing, then he walks back to Logan in the kitchen. "I haven't had that much fun hanging out with a girl since-well I don't think I've ever had that much fun hanging out with a girl when I wasn't sleeping with her." Dick explains.

"I can tell, just be careful and don't try to go there with Mac; she isn't that type of girl. Plus, Veronica would personally introduce your nuts to her taser." Logan warns him only half joking.

Dick unconsciously crosses one leg over the other shielding Little Dick. "Nah man, I know, it's not even like that."

"Are you sure? I see the way you look at her."

"I don't know what you're talking about, I look at her the same way I look at every girl." Dick isn't sure why he wants Logan to be wrong about what he thinks he sees from him, but he is pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that Mac is the smartest girl he has ever known aside from Ronnie and deep down he is sure she is too smart to ever think twice about him. What would it get her in the end, her heartbroken that's for sure; he is not up for being anyone's Knight in shiny whatever. He can't be the guy who breaks her heart, again, not after what Beaver did.

Logan breaks him out of his silent reverie. "Let me rephrase that, I see the way that you look at each other." He sees the hopeful look that passes quickly across Dicks' face after he suggests that Mac might look at him in a way more than a friend would and he knows despite Dicks' protests that there is something that he is feeling for the quirky brunette. He is also pretty certain that Dick himself isn't even aware of it; he'll have to figure it out, just like Logan did with Veronica. He only hopes that he doesn't figure it out too late like Logan did and do something incredibly stupid that screws it up.

"Not likely." Dick says bitterly, "She got over a 1500 on the SATs, she needs to date a rocket surgeon or something."

Logan knows that Dick is trying to make a joke and he snickers quietly. "Come on man, you know you're a catch. Rich, charming, handsome." He clasps his hand on Dick's shoulder and starts counting off all his qualities with the other hand.

"You forgot stupid, irresponsible and the brother of a murdering rapist." Dick elaborates not bothering to hide the resentment in his voice.

Logan can't argue with that seeing as he has the same feelings concerning his own depraved bloodlines. "Hey if Veronica can look past a psychotic family member I'm sure Mac could as well." Logan tries to cheer up his friend but can see that he is failing.

In the living room, Mac is laying on the couch, not passed out like earlier thought, just simply pretending. A skill she perfected years ago during countless slumber parties she was forced to attend at Becca's house. She must have had more to drink than she originally thought, that is the only explanation for the conversation she just heard coming from the kitchen. Her mind flashes to dancing with Dick earlier and the way he seemed to unconsciously bring her body closer to hers. There is no way, she tells herself, she is not Dick's type and he is so not hers. She keeps thinking of all the reasons why she must have misunderstood what was being said as she slowly drifts off, for real this time. Her back toward the hallway, her face buried in the cushion, smiling in her sleep.

**The song that they are dancing to it "Blue Eyes" by the Cary Brothers. I suggest that you listen to, it is a really beautiful song. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry this took a little longer than the previous chapters did, for one I am trying to make each chapter a little longer as some of you have requested, secondly I have been really busy at work. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Keep reviewing it really means a lot! **

**Chapter 8**

Dick is dreaming. He knows he is dreaming, but even so he can't wake himself up. He is having the same dream that he has been having for a couple months now, not scary, just unsettling, and confusing he can't really figure out what is going on.

**Dick is standing on the roof of the Grand, he is watching as Beaver is pointing the gun at Veronica and screaming manically. All of the sudden everything stops, frozen in place. Beaver gently places the gun on the ground and calmly walks over to where Dick is standing. **

"**Hey big brother it's about time you got here. Come on I have something to show you and I don't got a lot of time, I've got somewhere else I gotta be." He laughs winking at Dick.**

**Now they are standing outside the door of his and Logan's room, Dick reaches for the door handle but Beaver swats his hand away giving him a stern look, "You're not ready yet." He explains before slowly opening the door himself. He leads Dick to the couch and gently pushes him down on the cushion. He then walks over to the TV pulling a cassette tape out of his back pocket as he walks. "This is my favorite episode." He gives Dick a winning smile and puts the tape in the VCR then joins him on the couch still smiling. As the screen flashes from black to a picture Dick tries to turn his head away but he can't. It begins with little toddler Dick sitting on the couch holding newborn Cassidy in his arms, then it shows them both again only now a little older playing on the floor of their living room. As Dick watches, the tape rapidly speeds through sixteen years of moments shared with Beaver, then abruptly stops and the screen goes blank again. When it pops back on the Beaver and Dick images are replaced with Beaver and Mac images from the first time they met until he left her in the hotel room. **

"**I'm sorry Cassidy, I didn't know!" Dick cries anguish tearing at his voice. **

**Beaver just looks at him briefly and waves him off. "Don't worry about it bro, you couldn't have saved me. Mac could have, but I wouldn't let her. But this is the way it was always supposed to be anyway, I was stupid to try and interfere but it was fun while it lasted. Fate, what can you do?" He shrugs his shoulders in an "it's out of my hands' gesture.**

**And just like that Dick is angry, furious actually, he takes a swing and slugs Beaver as hard as he can in the jaw, he goes down on the couch but only seconds later he sits back up again a huge smile on his face. "It wasn't fate that you raped Veronica or killed all those kids! You planned it from the beginning!" Dick accuses wanting to hit him again but knowing it will do no good.**

"**Some things are and some things aren't, you just have to figure out which is which. If it has already been decided, you can fight it if you want but it's really no use. I learned that the hard way." Beaver explains cryptically as he gets off of the couch and heads to the TV pulling the tape out of the VCR. "Now I really gotta go, keep this for me would ya?" He tosses the tape to Dick who catches it with one hand. And with that he walks out the door, leaving Dick stunned and staring at the tape in his hand. Dick stands and rushes to the door wanting to open it and go after him but he decides not to. Instead it turns around and throws the tape as hard as he can into the living room, it knocks the lamp off the table which crashes onto the ground breaking into thousands of pieces. **

"CASSIDY!" Dick is startled awake by the sound of Mac screaming from his bedroom. He is about to jump up and run to her, see if she is okay, but he hesitates. He is afraid of Mac and he doesn't know why. He is about to go back to sleep when he hears something else coming from his bedroom. Crying. Mac is alone in his bedroom, crying. He hates it when girls cry, especially if they are really crying and not just trying to get their way. He is positive that Mac is actually crying and he decides to go and check on her.

"Mac?" Dick whispers, cracking open the door and peeking in at the figure sitting on his bed. "Are you, I mean do you need anything?" Even though he has opened the door all the way he isn't sure how she would feel about him coming in, so he stays standing just outside the room.

Mac can see Dick's silhouette framed in the doorway, can hear the concern in his voice and she is embarrassed. Here she is spending the night in _his_ apartment, sleeping in _his_ bed and waking him up because of a dream? A dream that she has had so many times now that she has lost count. Nineteen years old and she is crying from a nightmare like a child. She is disgusted with herself and she is thankful that the light is off so that Dick can't see the dirty looks that she is giving herself at that moment.

"I'm okay, sorry I woke you up."

"Were you dreaming?" He knows that he shouldn't ask, it's none of his business but his curiosity gets the better of him.

Mac wants to yell at him to mind his own business, she wants to tell him every detail and have him explain it all to her. She does neither of these things, deciding instead to get herself a drink of water, she throws the covers off and walks across the dark room. "Yeah, just a dream, a recurring one. You'd think I'd be used to it by now." She answers walking around Dick who is still standing in the doorway and heading to the kitchen.

"Wanna talk about it?" Dick knows that she is going to say no, he wouldn't expect her to say yes, especially since it was obviously Beaver that she was dreaming about while sleeping in his older brothers bed, that would just be an awkward conversation for both of them.

She is opening the refrigerator door when he asks this, a bottle of water in her hand. She turns toward him and looks directly in his eyes wanting more than anything to be able to talk to him about this, he who would be the only one to understand her. "Its just a dream I keep having, about…..Cassidy." She begins looking away from him not able to meet his eyes anymore.

"Oh." He stutters surprised that she appears to want to talk about it.

"Nevermind, you don't want to hear about it, it's nothing. I'm going back to bed."

He starts to disagree with her, to let himself be the one she confides in but he stops himself. Does he really want that? To talk to her about Beaver, talk about how he was such a good guy until blah blah blah, talk about how it's mainly Dick's fault. It's not his fault that the pervert mayor did what he did to Beaver, but he could have treated him differently been a better brother, maybe Beav would have confided in him, maybe he could have helped him forget about it turn his aggression somewhere else, maybe Beaver wouldn't have felt like he had to kill those people just to hide from his past.

"You want me to get you a night light or something? Keep the boogeymen away." He jokes trying to get her to smile again. His ploy succeeds and his efforts are rewarded with a tiny smile from her.

"Thanks but I think I'll be okay besides I've got my blankie with me." She says heading back to this bedroom. "Oh and Dick?" She looks at him questioningly.

"Hmm?"

"Why am I sleeping in your bed?"

He wiggles his eyebrows giving her a smirk. "Well you know, I guess my pure animal magnetism was too much for you to handle, it was really only a matter of time." He stops talking as her tiny fist connects with his bicep. "Ouch Mac, take a joke would you! I put you in my bed after you fell asleep cause I didn't think it was very gentlemanly of me to let you sleep on the couch. I tried to wake you up first but you were out cold." He clarifies rubbing the spot on his arm where she hit him.

"Since when are you a 'gentleman'?" Mac teases pleased at the contrite look on his face.

"I'm always a gentleman, ask any of the girls I've slept with." He says cockily and instantly regrets his word choice, was that a hint of jealousy that he just saw on Mac's face. He has made girls jealous of each other before, it's kind of his specialty but he never would purposely try to make Mac feel that way, after all they are almost friends now aren't they? And why would she be feeling jealous, she was the one who kissed him and hasn't said a word about it since. He convinces himself that he is wrong, that it wasn't jealousy playing across Mac's face but something else, disgust maybe, or repugnance.

"Goodnight Dick, thanks for the bed." She hates the way her voice sounds positive that he can hear the envy that seems so freaking loud to her own ears. Envious! Of Dick's harem? Really, after all of these years of adamantly distancing herself from anything remotely 'girlish' she is getting jealous of Dick Casablancas? So okay maybe he is incredibly sexy and even kind of sweet when he wants to be not to mention highly entertaining, but, but she can't bring herself to think about the 'but' or the dream that she just had starring none other than Cassidy Casablancas. Her contemplation is interrupted as she walks into Logan who is leaning arrogantly against the wall of the hallway. "Oh hey Logan, did I wake you up too? I'm really sorry."

"Hey don't worry about it Doogie, everything okay?" His words denote concern but his tone and facial expression are saying something else entirely, it takes a second for Mac to figure it out and she is confused to realize that it is amusement.

"Uh, yeah, just a little nightmare, I'm good now. Goodnight Logan." She quietly closes the door behind her and settles herself again in Dick's comfy bed, unaware of what is occurring just outside the door.

Dick glares at Logan when he sees him standing in the hallway. "I don't want to hear it." Dick declares setting himself back in his spot on the couch.

"What?" Logan asks innocently.

"Whatever smart ass thing you are going to say about whatever you think you heard."

"All I heard was one friend showing concern for another, nothing more."

"Yeah and that's all it is, so don't go thinking it's something more and don't go telling Ronnie I tried to make a move on her best friend, the Little Dickster really doesn't want to meet the business end of her taser." Dick is fighting with both his pillow and his blanket trying to get back to the comfortable position he was sleeping in earlier.

"I would never dream of doing such a thing." Logan holds his hands up in mock surrender. "Sleep tight Prince Charming." He says over his shoulder as he walks back to his own bedroom.

Dick has the urge to throw something at Logan's retreating back but is unable to find something sufficiently hard enough before Logan has disappeared. Why is he so preoccupied with me and Mac? Dick thinks to himself still not comfortable yet. It's ridiculous isn't it? For him to think about Mac that way. He has always been a quantity over quality type guy and it has served him well these past nineteen years, why go changing that now? His mind flashes back to the kiss, the dance, the look on her face when he mentioned the other girls he has slept with. Fun, he reminds himself again, he just wants to have fun. Finally he gets back his comfortable position and starts to doze, thinking not about Mac but about the dream he had about Beaver, he keeps replaying Beav's words over and over in his head not by choice but because his brain is telling him there is something there that he should have heard and understood. After about ten minutes he is fast asleep again, still just as confused as ever.

_**The next day…..**_

When Mac wakes up the next morning she is completely aware of where she is this time and for that she is grateful. She slept so well after her dream woke her up that she really has no desire to get up at all and she considers letting her eyes close again. Just as she is about to do this a waft of air smelling of coffee, bacon and pancakes hits her nose and her stomach growls loudly. As she quickly gets out of bed she realizes that she is still wearing her bridesmaid dress which is now a crumpled mess. She scans the room to find something else to wear and she spots her bag which still has her clothes from the underwear party , leaning against the wall.

Mac is standing in the middle of the room with nothing on but her panties when the door bursts open, it's Dick. "Mac rise and shine breakfast is here!" He shouts excitedly staring at the empty bed, he slowly turns his head to look at Mac whose arms are not doing a very good job as a t-shirt. She is stunned into silence with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide. Dick doesn't say another word, he simply backs out of the room and down the hall leaving the door standing wide open.

Finally, Mac regains her composure, stomps over to the door and slams it shut, the sound echoing through the silent apartment. When she emerges ten minutes later she has decided to pretend the entire thing never happened, although the flush still on her cheeks and down her neck would state otherwise.

No one says a word as Mac gets herself some food from the room service cart and joins the guys in the living room. Logan sits on one side of the couch with a delighted look on his face and Dick sits on the other looking sheepishly down at his food. "Well this is awkward." Logan says, an evil glint in his eyes, "Dick has never had breakfast with a girl he's seen naked before."

"I was NOT naked!" Mac yells.

"I didn't see anything!" Dick shouts simultaneously.

Logan laughs picking up a pancake from his plate and taking a big bite out of it. "Oh you crazy kids. When will you learn, three IS company too?" Mac and Dick are both staring at Logan debating whether or not it is worth it to waste their food throwing it at him when Mac's phone rings. She looks at the caller ID, it's Veronica.

"Ssshhh." She whispers bringing the phone to her ear. "Hello Veronica, how are you?" Mental head slap, since when has she ever answered the phone like that, especially when it was Veronica calling. She can tell that Veronica is trying to process this new formal greeting as there is complete silence on the other end.

"Hello yourself Cindy, I am well and how are you today?" Veronica replies equally as formally.

"Sorry I think body snatchers just took over my body." She tries to laugh it off but is sure that Veronica is still a little suspicious. She turns her body as Dick and Logan start whisper arguing about something on the couch.

"Body snatchers you say? Interesting I haven't heard of any unidentified flying objects hovering near Neptune…."

" Well you wouldn't would you, cause they're invisible. So how's the fibby?" Mac questions hoping to change the subject. Dick and Logan have started talking in normal voices now, still arguing, Mac gets up and walks to the other side of the living room, praying that Veronica doesn't hear them talking.

"Fibby?"

"Yeah, you know, F.B.I., fibby? It's how the cool kids are saying it."

"That's why I didn't know, I know this is gonna shock you, but I'm not one of the cool kids." Veronica whines sarcastic sadness lacing her words.

"Dude NOT cool!" Dick shouts. Mac stomps her foot at him and motions for them to be quiet, but it's too late.

"Was that Dick?" Veronica questions confused.

"Sorry I call 'em like I see 'em." Logan replies to Dick a smile on his face. Mac rolls her eyes and shoots both of them a death glare.

"And Logan? Where are you?"

"I'm at the Grand with Logan and Dick." Mac finally succumbs and tells her.

"At eleven o'clock on a Sunday morning?"

"Yeah I'm here because…." She looks to Dick and Logan for help coming up with an excuse. Logan holds his hands up, moves them in the shape of a square and wiggles his fingers back and forth in the air. Dick eyes him with a frown then looks to Mac and shrugs his shoulders. "I'm playing the piano?"

"Was that a question?"

"I mean, oh crap call waiting sorry it's my mom, gotta go, I'll talk to you later Bond!" Mac quickly hangs up and tosses the phone on the couch.

"What the hell is this?" Dick questions mimicking Logan's hand movements.

"It's a computer dumbass, she's is over here fixing our computer." Logan answers swatting Dick on the back of the head. Dick sneers at Logan, shaking his head. "Well I'm sorry, I flunked charades in high school." He replies, his tone only slightly irritated, he turns his attention to Mac, "Why do you have to lie to Veronica anyway?"

"Yeah, Mackenzie, why _do_ you have to lie to Ronnie?" Dick chimes in crossing his legs in front of him and holding onto his knee, a devious smile on his face.

Mac wishes she could answer them but she is unsure herself why she felt she had to lie to Veronica. So she was here spending time with Veronica's ex and his best friend, so what that she had spent the night here last night, two nights in a row actually. Veronica wasn't a prude she wouldn't care that Mac spent the night sleeping in the same apartment as two guys. But Mac knew that if she told Veronica about spending the night she would also have to tell her about the underwear party and about the wedding and the drinking game, everything, and for some reason she was sure that it wouldn't be a good idea. Veronica was smart, what if she misconstrued something that Mac told her and began to think things that weren't true, what if she started questioning Mac about Dick, Mac wasn't ready for that conversation. She didn't even know herself why she didn't feel awkward spending the weekend here or why she has had more fun this weekend than she has had in a long time. If she couldn't give herself an answer as to why then she sure as hell can't give and answer to Veronica.

She looks to Logan and Dick who are still patiently waiting for her reply, "Cause she hates Dick." She says simply.

Dick looks slightly offended. "What have _I _ever done to Veronica Mars?"

Mac and Logan look at Dick astounded. "Do you really want to open up the particular Pandora's box?" Dick looks as if he wants to refute what they are claiming but he stops himself.

"Forget it. Hey who wants to play some old school super Nintendo?" Mac tries to adjust to the sudden change in topic that was a Dick Casablancas specialty. You either rolled with it or let it roll you over, Mac decides on the former.

The three spend the next few hours playing Super Mario Kart, with Mac being the usual victor. When they finally decide to call it a day, Dick pats Mac on the back, congratulating her "Girls gotsome skills, gotta give ya props."

"Yeah well," Mac blushes again, is embarrassed by the fact that she can't seem to stop blushing around Dick, and proceeds to blush even more profusely. "I was kind of a geek as a kid, I spent a lot of time playing video games with my little brother." And what has changed now, she questions herself, she is still a geek, playing with computers and embarrassing herself in front of cute guys. When did I become such a girl? She wonders.

Logan suggests a round of something more modern and Dick excitedly agrees. He never knew how much fun it would be to spend the day playing video games with a girl who actually seemed to be enjoying herself, when he was with Madison she would whine every ten minutes until he gave in a took her shopping. Nowadays he doesn't spend any time with girls outside of the bedroom, too much drama, but Mac was different. Mac was fun, Mac was sweet and Mac was not girly. It didn't hurt that Mac was also hot, he just wasn't sure why it took him so long to notice that fact.

"Can't guys, I really should go home, I'm sure my parents are wondering where I am, besides, I've had these clothes on since Friday." She says sadly, motioning to her rumpled jeans and t-shirt.

"You can leave, but you have to come back for the bonfire." Dick looks to Logan who nods his head in agreement.

"Bonfire?"

"Yeah we have a little bonfire every weekend in the summer. Sometimes it's just us sometimes we invite other people. It's fun, you should come." Logan explains. "Hey you should invite Wallace too, invite whoever." He adds getting up to carry dirty dishes to the kitchen.

Mac can't control the smile that pops up on her face thinking about the fact that her fun and totally un-Mac-like weekend doesn't have to end yet. "Sounds fun, what time?" She hopes the excitement doesn't show in her voice.

"8-ish"

"Do you want me to bring something?" She questions heading to the door.

"Just your awesome self." Dick answers jumping off the couch and opening the door for her. He sticks his head out and waves at her as she walks down the hall toward the elevator. "See ya later Mackie!" He replies cheerfully, then shuts the door and shakes his head at himself.

Logan is looking at him amused a small smirk on his face.

"Don't say it dude, I know okay, I know." Dick asserts before Logan has a chance to speak. And with that he walks to his room slamming the door behind him.

_To be continued…._


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N : I have never done a flashback before so I hope this works out okay and that it is easy to follow. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 9**

The sudden banging on her door startles Mac but doesn't wake her. She was already awake, has been for hours. In fact, she is not sure if she ever went to sleep last night at all. On the bed beside her, her phone starts ringing, again. She glances at the caller ID curious to see who it is this time. Ah, Parker. She hits the END button once more as the banging on her door starts up again.

"CINDY! You alive in there? Mom wants to know if you want lunch." Ryan yells through the door.

"I told you already I'm sick, I'm not hungry, now go away!" She throws a pillow at the door for good measure but the soft _thump_ as it bounces off the door and falls to the floor is completely unsatisfying. Mac turns her attention back to her phone, she is sure that any second now it will start ringing again, she's going to make a little bet with herself as to who it will be this time. _If the next person who call is Wallace, I'm gonna dye my entire head purple next time. _Sure enough her phone starts ringing seconds later. She is surprised to see that it is not Wallace but Veronica. Good, Veronica doesn't know what happened last night so she will safe to talk to.

She musters up the most cheerful voice she can find within herself and hits the SEND button. "Hey 99, how goes it?"

"Does that make you Max? I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"Of course not, I'm agent 38, you know how I love my disguises." Mac retorts playfully, hoping that Veronica can't hear the depression that surely coats her voice.

"Sure sure, I should have guessed." Veronica pauses unsure of what to say next. "Mac are you okay?" She finally questions.

Mac doesn't know why she is surprised, of course Logan would tell Veronica even though they are broken up, after all she is Mac's best friend. He probably called her before Mac even got home last night. "Yeah I'm okay, why wouldn't I be okay?"

"No reason, I was, I am just checking up."

"Veronica I'm not one of those stupid people you can manipulate into telling you something or hide something from. I know Logan told you what happened last night, that's why you called isn't it?" Mac knows she isn't angry at Veronica, but right now she is the only person that she can take her anger out on.

"Logan didn't tell me anything, he just said that I should call and check up on you. What happened last night?" Veronica sounds genuinely lost and Mac is sure that she is telling her the truth, Logan didn't tell her what happened last night.

Mac takes a second and a deep breath before she attempts to respond. This is going to be a long conversation. "I just-I don't know what happened actually. I'm not sure how it went downhill so fast. I mean we were all there having fun and then, well then everything fell apart."

"Who was there? And where? What was going on? All Logan would say was that something happened and that you were upset, he said you needed a friend and he was sure that he couldn't be that friend for you right now, even though he wanted to. Did Logan do something?"

Mac pauses briefly trying to formulate how to explain what had occurred. "No, not Logan." She stops, she really doesn't want to tell this story, but she knows that Veronica will find out anyway so she might as well be the one to tell her. " Me. Dick. Parker. Lorena. We all did something." Mac tries hard to control the tears that are threatening to emerge. Tears of anger mainly and a few of embarrassment, but mainly anger, lots and lots of angry tears are currently blurring her vision.

"Dick? And Parker? And who the hell is Lorena?" Mac can understand her confusion, she Is going to have to start this story earlier than the bonfire itself.

_Mac has just left her house and is on her way to the bonfire. As she is driving the thought occurs to her that knowing Dick and Logan there won't be much to drink at this party other than beer and various other alcoholic beverages so she pulls into the first store that she comes to. Once inside she buys a large cooler and stocks up on water, soda and Gatorade, a little something for everyone. At the checkout line she spots a cheesy tourist shirt from the Santa Monica pier. On the back it has a picture of the roller coaster and the front says "When the lines are too long at Disneyland, come and give me a ride." The shirt makes her think of Dick and she impulsively grabs it and throws it in her cart. She tries not to read too much into her own actions and chooses to believe that it is simply a way of saying 'thank you' to him for letting her sleep in his bed. _

_As she is carting her stuff out to her car she bumps into someone, literally, she was contemplating whether or not she should actually give Dick the shirt when her cart bounces into a body and she hears a loud "Excuse me!" She looks up an apology already on her lips when she sees the face of her old roommate._

"_Parker?" _

_The look of irritation that was seconds before covering Parker's face is replaced by one of excitement as she looks at Mac. "Oh my god Mac! I didn't even see you. I'm so sorry. How are you?" Her sentences come out quickly each one spilling over on the one before as she walks around the cart and gives Mac a giant hug._

"_I'm good. What are you doing here? I thought you went back to Denver?" Mac questions as she glances between Parker and the pretty dark haired girl standing by her that she has just now noticed. _

_Mac can sense a slight level of discomfort from her friend but it quickly passes. "Ummm, yeah I did, but I came back early! See Lorena," She motions to the dark haired girl beside her who raises her hand and smiles shyly at Mac, "is my best friend from back home, like I mean we totally grew up together. Anyways, she was going to a school back home but I've been telling her so much about Hearst that she has decided to transfer here next semester. Isn't that awesome?" Mac can tell that Parker is actually waiting for acknowledgement that this was in fact an awesome thing, she smiles and nods her head encouragingly, hoping that Parker doesn't forget the point of the story she is currently telling. "She wanted to get here early so that she can like get her bearings and learn her way around and everything before classes start, so here we are!" _

"_Oh well that's great, where are you staying?" _

"_That's the best part, see a friend of a friend of my dad's lives here, but he goes away every summer and he rents his place out for a few months. We're staying in a beach house for practically nothing!" Parker is so excited that Mac almost hates to ask the question that is forming in her brain but her curiosity proves to be too much for her. _

"_Why didn't you call and tell me you were back?" She asks not bothering to hide the hurt in her voice._

_Mac watches as Parker's smile falters a little before finally leaving her face altogether. She lets out a breath and looks Mac squarely in the eye. "I just didn't know, I mean with how things ended with Logan and you being such good friends with Veronica. I was just afraid that things would be awkward." Parker looks sufficiently remorseful and self-conscious._

"_Veronica is still your friend too you know. I mean she has nothing against you, she never did." Mac smiles at the look of relief on Parker's face._

"_I am so glad to hear you say that. I mean it's kind of my fault anyway. I knew from the beginning that Logan still loved Veronica, I just wanted to feel safe again after the rape you know? Logan is such a good guy, but I never really loved him. I think I wouldn't let myself because I knew how he felt about Veronica. And I am so totally over it now!" Mac laughs at her enthusiasm, thankful that Logan isn't leaving a trail of too many brokenhearts, she wishes she could say the same about Veronica. _

"_Well you know what they say about guys and trolley cars; there are plenty of them In the sea." Mac teases and Parker laughs used to the dry humor of the Neptune gang while Lorena just looks confused._

"_So we should totally do something tonight, a club maybe? Are you still with Max?" Again, Parker's vivacity leaves Mac a little dizzy feeling, she is having a hard time keeping up._

"_Um, no we broke up awhile back, we're actually still friends though, I mean not hang out friends, but like, not egging each other's vehicles type friends." _

"_Awesome, so we should totally go, three single ladies, a night on the town. Whadya say?" _

"_It sounds like fun but I have plans tonight actually. The guys are having a bonfire. You should come too, I know they wouldn't mind." In Mac's excitement to have another female at the bonfire with her, she has momentarily forgotten the potentially explosive situation that could arise from Logan and Parker being in such close proximity. "I mean, nevermind you wouldn't want to go to a party with Logan." _

_Parker looks almost as if she wants to agree at first then smiles earnestly. "No, no, I told you I am totally over the Logan thing, it sounds like a lot of fun. Besides it will give Lorena a chance to meet some more people." She turns to Lorena who Mac is sure looks slightly terrified, and nods her head in encouragement._

"_Yeah, absolutely, let's do it." Lorena agrees with false cheer. Mac thinks she probably is used to giving in to Parker's enthusiastic requests, it must be exhausting having her as a best friend. _

"_Yay!" Parker says giving a little hop and clap. "So when should would be there?"_

"_Actually I am on my way there right now, why don't you just follow me?" Mac answers pointing to her car. "Let me just get this stuff loaded and we can go." _

"Hello, earth to Mac. I said, who is Lorena?" Mac hears Veronica on the other end of the phone, her voice snapping her back to reality.

"She is Parker's friend from back home, she is going to Hearst next year so they came early to get acquainted with the area."

"Well that answers my next question. But what happened? I mean what does Parker's best friend have to do with you and the bonfire. And Dick? Where the hell does he come into all this? Do I even want to know?" Veronica's tone is playful but Mac is asking herself that very same question. Does Veronica really want to know? Should she really tell her?

"Probably not. I'm not sure that I even really want to know. God, I am so stupid Veronica. I swear from now on you are going to make all my decisions for me, I obviously can't be trusted to make them myself." Her voice is dripping with disdain, although disdain for who she isn't sure. Herself? Dick? Lorena? Hell, maybe even Parker why not?

"Mac you're kinda scaring me now, what the hell happened?"

_Mac can already see the bonfire as she pulls up and parks, Parker pulling into the spot next to her. Mac has decided to leave the shirt in the car for the time being so it sits on the passenger's seat beside her. By the time she has walked to the trunk of her car, Parker and Lorena are already there waiting for her, Parker seems to be exuding nervous energy. _

"_You are gonna love everybody, they are so nice and so much fun, you'll see." Parker is explaining to Lorena as Mac unloads the cooler and drinks. Just then Wallace pulls up and gives the girls a friendly wave as he exits his truck._

"_Hey girl, thanks for inviting me. Parker I didn't know you were back in town." _

_Parker rushes over and give Wallace a hug. "I am and this is Lorena. Lorena this is Wallace Fennel probably the sweetest guy you'll ever meet." She motions to Lorena who hesitantly shakes Wallace's hand. _

"_Nice to meet you Lorena, welcome to the 'tune." _

_Mac notices the blush that creeps up Lorena's pale neck. She is even worse off around guys than I am, she thinks sympathetically. She decides then and there to do what she can to make Lorena feel welcome and at ease._

"_Lorena is just a little shy around new people. It's gonna be fun though, I promise." _

"_Come on." Mac says grabbing Lorena by the arm. "Lets go meet the guys." Mac looks to Parker out the corner of her and sees the grateful look on her face. Thank you, she mouths._

"_Oh and Wallace, I wanted to let you know I invited Cameryn, but she had to work tonight. She said she might come by after her shift." Wallace does a little happy dance as they are walking and everyone laughs, including Lorena._

_Parker gives Wallace a meaningful stare. "And who, may I ask, is Cameryn?" She says mischievously._

"_Oh just a caramel skinned goddess who Wallace has recently taken to worshipping." Mac teases, playfully nudging Wallace's arm. He rolls his eyes at her and nudges back. _

"_Cameryn is a very nice girl whom I happen to have a deep and meaningful connection with." He answers with complete prudence and a hint of sarcasm. Mac and Parker look at him expectantly. "Who just happens to be a caramel skinned goddess." He finishes and everyone laughs again. _

"_You go Fennel!" Parker jokes in a mock boy voice._

_They have almost reached the bonfire now and Mac is happy to see Dick and Logan. She isn't so happy when she spots Chip Diller sitting on the other side of the fire as well. The president of Dick's fraternity has never been Mac's favorite person, though she supposes it could be worse, they could have invited Madison Sinclair. _

"_Look who I ran into today." Mac announces praying that Logan does not react badly to Parker being there with her. But it seems her fears were unfounded as he gives Parker a small smile and goes back to poking the fire with a stick._

"_I hope you don't mind that I came. I can leave If you want." Parker tells Logan, her voice betraying her hope that he doesn't take her up on the offer. _

"_Of course not, I'm glad you could come. Who's your friend?" _

"_Oh Logan this is Lorena. Lorena this is Logan, and the blond is Dick, he's mostly harmless but still be careful, and over there with the shaved head is Chip, well he's Chip, just ignore him." Dick and Chip both look offended at Parker's description but everyone else laughs and shakes their heads in agreement. _

Mac is now staring at her ceiling, trying to figure out a way to explain what happens next to Veronica.

"Okay, I'm all for a dramatic buildup, but seriously, the suspense is killing me! Mac, what happened?" Veronica has never been known for her patience. Mac isn't sure if she is drawing out the story to put off telling the part that she really doesn't want to tell or because she is enjoying making Veronica wait. Truthfully, it probably is a little bit of both.

"You just really have to know everything that happened last night. If I skip right to the end you'll be really confused."

"Okay tell the story however you want to, just as long as you realize that you are going to tell me. I'm not sure exactly what happened last night Cindy Mackenzie but if it involved Dick I'm sure that I'm not going to like it. Especially with the amount of concern Logan had for you when he called me this morning."

For some reason, despite her anger, Mac was filled with the desire to defend Dick against Veronica's assumptions. Even though, okay, he did do something very Dick-like, but Veronica is always jumping to the worst possible conclusions when it comes to Dick and Mac is getting more than a little tired of it. "He's not that bad. I mean, he is, but he's not. No you know what you're right, he's just such, he's a complete, he's a dick!" Mac finally sputters out as she begins to cry again.

"That's it, when I get home Dick and Little Dick are both going to wish they were never spawned. I swear Mac, did he make a move on you? Get you drunk? Run over your cat? What did he do?"

_They have been at the bonfire for a good hour and a half. Everyone is having a good time, some more than others. Lorena, who shocked everyone by starting to drink immediately, is throwing herself shamelessly at Dick, who only seems annoyed as he is listening intently while Mac, Logan and Parker see who can scare each other the most by telling the most disturbing ghost story. Chip passed out on the sand earlier and the guys drug him off to the side, a safe distance from the fire. Wallace is getting cozy in the sand with Cameryn who showed up a few minutes after they did. _

_As Wallace walks off in search of a bathroom, Mac excuses herself and goes to join Cameryn on the other side of the fire. "I'm glad you came. You seem to be getting along rather well with Wallace." Mac comments, sitting down next to her._

_Cameryn laughs and shrugs her shoulders. "He's easy to get along with."_

"_I'm glad. He's a really good guy. Just be warned, when Veronica comes back, she will test your worthiness and if you are found lacking, watch out." Mac is only half joking as she says this. She has been eyewitness to more than one girl not found suitable for Wallace in Veronica's eyes, it wasn't a pretty picture. _

"_I'll keep that in mind." Cameryn remarks, seeming unconcerned by Mac's warning. "So which one of those fine young gentleman belongs to you?" She questions gesturing to where Dick and Logan are now sitting alone across the fire. _

_Mac turns to her bemused then looks back at Dick and Logan, curious as to why she would assume that she was dating one of them. "Neither, we're friends. Logan and I have been friends for a while, he used to date my best friend. And Dick well we've just started to be friends I guess." Mac is unsure how to explain her relationship with Dick. Friends? She guesses. Older brother of dead murderous ex-boyfriend? Probably best not to lead with that. _

_Cameryn looks unconvinced. "I don't think he thinks you're just friends." _

"_She's right." Comes Parkers voice suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere and Mac jumps, startled. "That boy is trying so hard not to like you, tell me you don't see that." _

"_Dick?" Is all Mac can say. She looks back over to Dick who seems to be having a very intense conversation with Logan who is gesturing emphatically with his hands. Dick shakes his head and looks down at the sand. Logan says something else and Dick looks up at him sharply at first, but his face softens as Logan continues speaking. "No, I'm not Dick's type trust me. I've known him longer than you." _

_She starts to contradict them but her mind goes back to the night before and the conversation she heard that she had convinced herself was a drunken dream. Dick had fun with her, he said so himself, he was also concerned that he wasn't good enough for her. Was it possible? She thinks back to the dance and the way he pulled her body closer to him, the sneaky way he flirts with her, how excited he seemed to be when she finally showed up tonight. She is surprised to come to the conclusion that it was entirely possible. She was even more surprised to come to the conclusion that she was flattered._

_She suddenly thinks of the shirt folded nicely and sitting in her car. Waiting patiently for her to realize that she does indeed want to give it to Dick. "I'll be right back." She announces abruptly, leaving a confused Parker and Cameryn behind as she strides purposefully to her car. Once she reaches her destination she reaches in and grabs the bag quickly before she can second guess herself. _

"_Hey Mackie, whatcha got?" Comes a playful voice behind her, it's Dick. She was so determined to get to her car without changing her mind that she hadn't even noticed him get up and follow her. _

"_Good god man, wear some bells!" She is embarrassed by her jumpiness and feels guilty at the hurt look that crosses his face._

"_Sorry, I thought you heard me." _

"_No you're fine, you just scared me is all. I just, well I had to get something. I just saw it and thought of you, I mean thought that you might like it. Here." She stammers, shoving the bag at him and staring at the ground._

_Dick looks from her to the bag curious as to what would make her think of him that she felt she had to buy, for him. He slowly removes the shirt and unfolds it. As he reads what it says his face breaks out into pure joy and amusement. "Mac, oh my god, you are so awesome. Like the coolest chick ever." He says pulling the shirt on over his head, not bothering to remove the one he was already wearing. _

"_I just wanted to say thanks for letting me sleep in your bed, and for this weekend, I've had a lot of fun." She forces herself to look back up at him and is pleasantly surprised to see him staring down at her, a different look on his face than she has ever seen before. _

_He takes a step closer to her and she involuntarily steps backwards, their eyes locked, neither one of them speaks. He takes another step and so does she, only this time she finds herself with her back up against her car. Uh oh, she thinks. His arms find a spot on either side of her shoulders, blocking any escape she may have been plotting. He looks as if he is trying desperately to figure something out and Mac can only imagine what is going on inside his head. She opens her mouth to say something, but no words are coming to her at this time, nothing to save herself from this slippery slope she can feel herself slowly start to slide down. One more miniscule movement and there he is, his body so close that she can feel his heart beating. He leans down and covers her mouth with his. There is nothing tentative about the kiss, his tongue forcing it's way into her mouth and as much as she knows she should fight it, she can't and she really doesn't want to. It's raw and hungry and perfect. When he finally breaks away from her she realizes that she has unconsciously grabbed onto his shirt, the fabric balled up in her hands. He looks her in the eyes again and she thinks he might tell her thank you for the shirt. But he doesn't say anything, instead closing his eyes and shaking his head sadly. He pushes off the car and turns back towards the beach. _

"_FUCK!" He yells as he walks away, leaving Mac to stare after him feeling more confused than she ever has before._

"What the frak? You kissed Dick? And you liked it? Does that mean, do you like Dick?" Veronica yells into the phone, almost causing Mac to drop it.

"I don't know, I don't know. And it's not the first time I've kissed Dick." She states then proceeds to explain to Veronica what happened at the underwear party.

"So I leave and the entire town just goes Twilight Zone? I'm confused though, if you kissed him and you liked it." Mac can hear the shudder in Veronica's voice at the thought that Mac would actually enjoy kissing Dick Casablancas. "What's with all the drama. What happened after that?"

Mac steels herself to tell the part of the story that she has been avoiding, the part that made her stay awake all night, wondering just what the hell happened. "Yeah, that's where it all went to crap."

_Mac needs some time to regain her composure after that shameless display of Dick's kissing abilities, so she starts walking aimlessly around the parking lot but that gets boring too quick. Still not ready to head back to the bonfire she walks down to the beach but goes in the opposite direction from where everyone is currently congregated. _

"_Why would Dick kiss me then walk off yelling?" She actually whispers out loud to herself, then realizes that someone may in fact overhear her she continues the rest of her one-sided conversation in her head._

_If Cameryn and Parker were right and he likes me, why would he act so strange? And why do I care? Do I care? Yes, I do, oh my god, I do care. How the hell did that happen? The underwear party, the dance, the drinking game. Shit, do I like Dick? Dick Casablancas. Man-whore and ass rater extraordinaire. Holy hell, I do! _

_Mac stops in her tracks as this realization finally hits her. She does in fact like Dick. She likes his goofy personality and how she can't be around him and not have fun. She likes that he thinks it's cool that she is good at video games. She likes that she has seen the sweet side of him that she is sure not many other people have seen. She likes his loyalty to Logan and the fact that he would do anything for him, she suspects that he is the same with anybody whom he deems worthy of his allegiance. She likes the way she felt when she was in his arms dancing to one of her favorite songs and the way she felt when he kissed her just now. But most of all, she likes that when she is around him she isn't geeky computer nerd good girl Cindy Mackenzie, she is just regular college girl having fun Mac. She feels comfortable around him in a way that she has never been before, not even around Veronica. _

_She turns back around towards the direction she came in, finally ready to face Dick and all the possibilities that he presents. After walking a few feet she stops in her tracks again, unsure of what is taking place before her. As she stands staring at the laughing couple coming up on her, she feels something tighten in her chest. It is Dick and Lorena, so absorbed in staring at each other that they don't realize they are walking straight up to Mac. Their arms are around each other and Lorena has her hand on his chest right on the word Disneyland from the shirt that Mac gave him, he bends down and pulls her face towards him, kissing her firmly on the mouth. She pulls back and laughs, hitting him playfully on the chest. _

"_Hey don't mind me, let me just get out of your way here." She says loudly, looking pointedly at Dick, pure hate covering her features. As he looks up at her she is sure is face is filled with shame and regret, and she quickly looks away not wanting him to see her cry. But as she walks by them she looks him square in the eye and shakes her head at him almost imperceptibly. Then she walks on holding her head up as high as she can manage, walking determinedly back to the bonfire._

_It only takes a few seconds before she can hear Dick turn around and start walking after her. "Mackie wait. Don't be sad please. I'm sorry." _

"_Sad, why should I be sad. I really have no reason to care who you screw around with, do I?" She doesn't even turn around to look at him, instead just spitting the words out from over her shoulder. _

_He rushes to catch up with her and grabs her by the arm, forcing her to stop. She looks down to where he has her arm in his grip then slowly looks back up at him. She yanks her arm out from him but stays standing where she is. She looks at him expectantly, waiting to hear what kind of asinine excuse he is going to try to come up with. _

_Dick sighs loudly and runs his fingers through his shaggy blond hair avoiding looking her in the eye. "I'm sorry you saw that." _

_Mac is so angry it takes all of her will power not to punch him. She stops herself because she realizes that it wasn't him she was angry at but herself. All he did was kiss her, he made no promises, no commitment, didn't even say anything actually, it was just a kiss. And she, being the stupid girl that she is, took that stupid little kiss and turned it around, molded and mushed it into something that it wasn't, something, when it obviously was nothing. An impulsive reaction to the excitement of his present. He had even yelled "fuck" afterward, probably because he was sorry that he had kissed her. _

"_No, you know what Dick, I'm sorry. Go back to your little fuck buddy. I truly don't care who you do or where you do it at. I'm going home, have fun." And with that she turns and starts walking again. By the time she gets back to the bonfire, Logan is watching her, distress clearly evident on his face. _

"_Mac are you okay?" _

"_Yeah, um, I gotta go, I have work tomorrow, this has been fun and all but-" Mac is interrupted by Lorena running up to her from the dark of the beach._

"_Mac, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize that you and Dick…."She leaves the rest of the sentence hanging giving a look to denote some kind of relationship. As she says this, all conversations cease and four pairs of eyes look curiously at Lorena and Mac._

_Mac is embarrassed by the sudden attention and silently wonders what level of hell she is currently occupying. "Don't be sorry, we're not. But be careful he's Dick, just use protection, he might have gotten a girl pregnant before, but it's okay cause he offered to pay for the abortion." She replies coldly staring straight at Dick as he hesitantly walks up to them. _

"_What the hell Mac?" He shouts his voice filled with hurt._

"_Just giving her a heads up as to what she has to look forward to." _

"_Am I missing something?" Wallace questions from behind Mac. Logan turns to him and nods his head solemnly. _

"_Nope, I was just leaving." Mac answers then tries to push past Dick who is blocking her path to the parking lot._

"_Mac, come on, that's not cool." _

"_I really am sorry I ddin't realize that you had a thing for him." Lorena whispers to Mac pleading for forgiveness with her eyes._

_Mac scoffs at this suggestion. "Like I would have a thing for an obnoxious frat boy like him. I prefer my men not dragging their knuckles. He's all yours." And with that Dick moves out of her way, finally letting her pass by, _

"_Yeah see ya Ghost World!" Dick yells at her more out of hurt than anger. She makes it to her car and buckles up before the tears come spilling down her face, soaking her shirt within seconds. _

"Wow." Is all Veronica says when Mac finishes telling her the story. "I don't even know what to say to that." She waits for a response from Mac, but it's too late, she has already hung up, her phone lying on the floor where she threw it, the sobs racking through her body once again.

**Please don't hate me and please keep reading and reviewing!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Dick and Logan have been playing the same game for hours now and he is still not sure what game he is even playing. He keeps reliving what happened the night before, seeing Mac's heartbroken face and hearing those words that she said to him, making him feel exactly like his name. There is a part of him that wants to blame Logan and honestly he thinks Logan might even blame himself a little bit. If he hadn't listened to him than none of this would have happened.

He finally gives up trying to play the game, frustrated he throws the controller to the floor. "Dude this fucking sucks!"

Logan doesn't respond, he looks at Dick and smiles sadly at him, thinking how much this situation reminds him of himself and Veronica. Not the details of the situation more the general concept of it, poor little rich boy gets his world turned upside down by the smart girl from the wrong side of town. He is thankful that Dick at least appears to finally have realized that he cares about Mac, although he is pretty sure that he is fighting against it.

"Yeah." Logan finally replies.

"Seriously 'yeah' is all you have to say? What the hell good is that gonna do me? Where is your wise advice Yoda?" Dick isn't angry at Logan he is genuinely surprised. He thought if nothing else, Logan could be counted on to give him some sort of encouraging 'it could be worse' speech.

"Wise advice? Have you been around the past three years, did you happen to notice how my first love was screwing my mortal enemy _and_ my father, then I dated my best friends ex only to lose her back to him. Or how about when I got back together with her only to have to break up with her when I was too concerned with her safety. And don't forget when I beat the crap out of her boyfriend because I thought he videotaped them having sex and she told me that she wanted me out of her life forever. What, in all of that, makes you think I can give you any advice when it comes to happy and healthy relationships?"

There is really nothing that Dick can say to that, it's true, every last pitiful and depressing word of it. And all it does is reaffirm Dick's belief that he wants no part of any of it. Well, he wants to want no part of it, the fun-loving immature part of his brain wants no part of it, but that other part of his brain, the part that has been trying to grow up, that part keeps flashing images of Mac and reminding him how it felt when he kissed her last night at the bonfire. All because of Logan, he should have never listened to Logan, he said himself what does he know about happy and healthy relationships.

When his phone starts ringing he lets himself get excited at the possibility that it is Mac. Maybe she is going to apologize for saying what she said, or better yet she is ready to forgive him for what he did, maybe listen to his side of the story, but really what could he say to her except, 'hey sorry I kissed you and then made out with another girl, I enjoyed kissing you so much that it freaked me out and I didn't know what else to do', sure that would go over well. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the number that the caller ID readout shows is not one that he recognizes but his curiosity convinces him to answer anyway.

"Richard Casablancas Jr. You have exactly ten minutes to explain to me your side of the story. If I'm not satisfied with your explanation I will hop a plane and fly to Neptune, remove certain appendages that you are very fond of, and fly back without leaving a trace, you know I can do it. Start." It was Veronica and he really wished he hadn't answered.

"Well hello Veronica it's so nice to hear from you. And I'm fine thanks for asking." The sarcasm dripped so heavily from his voice it was a wonder that Veronica didn't actually taste it on the other end.

He can hear Veronica quietly counting to ten before she begins speaking again. "I don't wanna chat and I don't care how the hell you are. You hurt my best friend and I want to know why. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that maybe you had a momentary brain malfunction or that some wandering soul took over your body. Whatever caused you to do what you did I want to know. Convince me you deserve to keep all your body parts. Time is running out."

What Dick really wanted to do was chew Veronica out, remind her that it was none of her goddamned business, that as long as they've "known" each other she really didn't know anything about him, then hang up and block her number on his phone. The problem with that was for one, Veronica was a really good person to have on your side and pure hell to have against you. Secondly, he did owe her for helping him and his frat brothers out of several tight spots last year. And finally, he really really wanted someone to know his side even if it was Veronica "let's castrate Dick" Mars.

"You know your friend wasn't very nice to me either." It's childish but it's all he has right now.

"Save it Dick. You now have eight minutes."

If he wants Veronica to know his side and hopefully understand it then he's going to have to tell her everything, from the beginning.

_Dick and Logan are down at the beach getting things ready for the bonfire. Dick is literally bouncing with excitement and he isn't sure why. Logan has been teasing him all day about his elation and trying to attribute it to the fact that Mac agreed to come. Dick just laughs and waves him off, it has nothing to do with Mac. He is happy because he is Dick, it's summertime, he's going to party and life is good. It's really as simple as that, Logan can read into it whatever he wants to, but he knows better. _

"_So since you invited Mac, if she comes does that make this a date?" Logan teases, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. _

_Dick stops his current task of stacking the firewood. He looks to Logan as if that idea had never occurred to him before. "Do you think she thinks it's a date?"_

"_Do you want it to be a date?" _

"_No." Dick quickly answers then goes back to stacking, rearranging everything that he just spent the past twenty minutes arranging. "It's gonna be a long while before Dick ever 'dates' any chick again." He holds the piece of wood against his chest as he air quotes the word 'dates', Logan looks as if he wants to hit him over the head with that same piece of wood. _

"_Why do I not believe you?" _

"_Why are you such a chick sometimes? All this talk about feelings and shit, who said anything about feelings? I didn't say anything about feelings, you said something about feelings." _

_Logan contemplates this as he leans back against a log, kicking over the stack of wood that Dick just finished perfecting. "Actually, I never said anything about feelings either. You just did. That, my friend, is what the experts call a Freudian slip." He smirks at Dick who looks at him dumbfounded, gesturing for him to explain. "It means your unconscious mind was thinking about 'feelings' and so you brought them up, because I never said a word about feelings, I simply asked if you wanted it to be a date." _

_Sometimes Dick hated how smart Logan was, sure he didn't make the smartest choices all the time and he liked to pretend that he was stupid, but he was actually very smart and a pain in his ass. Dick was just about to tell Logan exactly that when he was interrupted by the antagonizing voice of Chip Diller. "Who's on a date? You two? I shoulda known, you guys are way closer than any pair of straight dudes should be." He laughs at his own sophomoric humor and plops himself on the sand across from them. _

"_Chip, always a pleasure." Logan greets him not bothering to hide the distaste in his voice. He has never liked Chip and often wonders how Dick can put up with him for any amount of time. Oh yeah, they are usually both drunk when they are around each other. And evidently Chip has no problem drinking alone, if the slight slur of his speech is any indication. _

"_Chip, what's going on man? What are you up to?" Dick asks only to get Chip's mind thinking about something other than the half of a conversation he heard when he walked up._

"_Oh you know, just over there surfing, saw you guys over here and wanted to come and say hi. And just wanted to ask you a quick question….." _

_Dick and Logan fix their eyes on him as he downs the rest of his beer and reaches for one of theirs, they are waiting for him to ask his question, but he seems to already have forgotten about it._

"_And that would be?" Dick finally tries to prompt him._

"_Huh?" _

"_The question, Diller, you came to ask us a question, what was it?" Chip is completely oblivious to the irritation in Logan's words._

"_Oh yeah, what is this I hear about you guys throwing Tanner Sutcliffe out of a party of yours?" Chip's gaze bores into Dick, ready to carefully weigh his response._

_Dick is hesitant to answer. Tanner is one of the brothers, but Dick has never cared for him much and he is not sure how he even heard about the party. Dick knows that for one brother to treat another that way there had better be a damn good excuse or else there would be consequences. He was supposed to be loyal to the brothers above everyone else. They knew they couldn't ever get him to turn his back on Logan, but to admit that he did that for a girl, a girl that none of the brothers even knew, well that was something else._

_Logan knew why Dick was taking so long to answer, and as much as Logan didn't like the frat boys, he knew how much it meant to Dick to be a part of some kind of family. "He was forcing girls to drink and after the rape mess last year we didn't think that it was going to end well, so we made him leave." He answered for Dick who shot him a grateful look. _

"_Hmmm, lets just make sure that this doesn't happen again shall we." Chip's chastisement wasn't very powerful, his buzz was too strong for him to really care all that much, he settled himself back on the log and folded his hands across his chest. _

"Well Dick I think you just wasted about four minutes. The point, get to it." Veronica's voice is really starting to grate on Dick's nerves and he briefly reconsiders hanging up on her. Logan can obviously tell what he is thinking and he motions for him to continue his story.

"As you wish." He says through clenched teeth. In the background he can hear Veronica tapping on the computer keyboard. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for the next flight out to Neptune. It looks like I can leave tonight and be there, finish my business and be back here before anyone misses me on Wednesday morning. Why are you screwing around with Mac's head?" She demands.

"I'm not screwing around with her head, I swear, not on purpose." Most of his anger at Veronica has left him and he just feels like a jerk again.

Veronica has stopped typing on the computer but her voice is still hard and cold. "Then explain to me why you kissed her then went to screw around with another girl in front of her face!"

_Dick is relieved that Lorena has gone off in search of a bathroom but he is wondering where Mac went to. He finally sees her across the way talking to that Cameryn girl that Fennel seems to be dating. What's that they say about everyone looking good by firelight? They weren't lying cause Mac sure looks good. He wonders again at how it took him so long to realize it, he suspects it had to do with her being Cassidy's ex of sorts, not to mention Veronica's best friend. _

"'_Yeah, keep staring dude, cause that's not creepy at all." Logan's voice jars him out of his silent contemplation, he shoots Logan a dirty look but keeps his attention averted from Mac. Seeing Chip passed out to the side he picks up an empty beer can and tosses it at his head, Chip doesn't stir. Good, he was tired of hearing his smart ass mouth all night. _

"_Honestly dude, I don't know. I might like her, but I mean what am I supposed to do with that? I swore after Madison I wasn't gonna date anybody seriously again, not for a long time. I'm not ready for commitments and shit." He sighs heavily and looks to Logan hoping for some kind of advice._

"_Good god, I'm so glad you finally realized it. I thought I was going to have to write it on the back of your blow up doll's head." _

"_I said I might, not that I do. Maybe I keep thinking about her cause she's a good kisser and now I wanna see what else she can do good." Even as he is saying it, he knows it's a lie. He thinks again about how much fun he has with her and how even though she is smarter than him she doesn't make him feel stupid. He thinks about dancing with her at the wedding and how when she woke up from the bad dream all he wanted to do was hold her until she felt safe again. He knows those aren't the type of thoughts you have about someone if you just want to get in their pants. He also thinks about how messed up his family is and how his little brother screwed her over. How he has done really stupid things that he is not proud of and if she ever found out she wouldn't be able to look him in the eye again. Hell, he has a hard time looking at himself in the eye sometimes. And he thinks about how she seems to not even acknowledge the fact that she kissed him, how she never talks about them dancing, or how when she had the nightmare she just wanted to go back to sleep she didn't look for comfort from anywhere. He knows what those things mean, she regrets the kiss and she isn't interested in him in anyway other than as a friend._

"_Well, there is one way to tell. You have to kiss her again." Logan declares suddenly. Dick looks at him sharply and shakes his head 'no'. "I'm serious. Kiss her again, sober. By the second kiss you'll know if you just wanna sleep with her or if there is something more." _

"_How do you figure that?" Dick asks, genuinely curious._

"_You know Mac, you know that a one night stand is off the table. So the kiss is purely for the enjoyment of kissing nothing else. Without your brain being clouded by the possibility of sex, you'll be able to tell if you enjoy the kiss or if you're just using it to get to second base." _

_Dick considers this logic and realizes that what Logan is saying actually makes a lot of sense. When he spots Mac get up and head toward the parking lot, he quickly decides that the sooner he gets this non drunk kiss test over the better so that he can get on with his normal, polyamorous life._

"_Mac!" He calls after her but she doesn't seem to hear him. He is getting closer to her when he sees her reach into her car and pull something out. It's a plastic sack from a grocery store and she is holding on to it for dear life. "Hey Mackie, watcha got?" He didn't mean to scare her but he can tell by the way she jumps that he did. _

"_Good god man, wear some bells." She says, he can tell that she is trying to compose herself. His resolve to go through with the kiss is starting to fade, what if she gets mad, or simply pushes him away like that time at the beach when he was apologizing to her for the way he treated her and Cassidy._

"_Sorry, I thought you heard me." _

"_No you're fine, you just scared me is all. I just, well I had to get something. I just saw it and thought of you, I mean thought that you might like it. Here." He smiles at her bashfulness and is shocked when she hands him the bag, he can't remember the last time a girl got him something. He pulls the t-shirt out of the bag and reads the words on the chest and can't control the smile that spreads across his face. Mac bought him a present, the perfect present. A t-shirt, with an innuendo written across it, just like the hundred other shirts with innuendos written across them that he has at home. But those he bought all himself, mainly to see who would get the most irritated by them, this one Mac bought him because she saw it and thought of him and wanted him to have it. _

"_Mac, oh my god, you are so awesome. Like the coolest chick ever." He tells her, pulling the shirt on over his head. And as he says it he knows that it is true. He knows that he will never meet a girl as cool as Mac, someone who likes to play videogames and who kisses him to shut him up and who buys him the best present ever just because. _

_He doesn't realize that he has gotten closer to her until he sees her bump her back against her car. When he puts his hands on either side of her shoulders the look on her face isn't telling him to stop, it's more like one big giant question. And he is feeling the same way. What if Logan is wrong and after he kisses her again he is still as confused as ever. What if the kiss makes him hate her or makes her hate him, what if. Forget it, he thinks, finally giving in and kissing her with everything that he's got. He almost expects her to pull away from him but instead he can feel her lean into him, can feel her grab onto his shirt and pull him closer. His brain responds to the kiss first and he has his answer, finally. His body responds second and he knows that he has to break off the kiss before he gets going too much. When he pulls away and looks down at her he can see the confusion in her eyes. A part of him wishes that he has never kissed her at all and he shakes his head sadly before pushing off of the car. He turns back toward the beach, looking to chew Logan out._

"_Fuck!" He yells into the air. Yeah, his question was answered. No, he didn't __**like**__ Cindy Mackenzie, he actually freaking cared about her. No he didn't want to screw her, he wanted to make love to her. When did he turn into such a chick?_

"That's a great story and all, but I'm still waiting for the part when you act like a complete douchebag and go off with some random girl to screw around." Veronica practically yells into the phone, he can tell she is really uncomfortable talking about Dick kissing Mac and the fact that she didn't punch him in the face.

"I wasn't going to sleep with her." He offers in his defense. Across the room he can see Logan giving him an eye roll.

"Then what were you going to do Dick? Enlighten me." It wasn't a request, it was a demand and anyone who had met Veronica Mars knew to ignore her demands was taking your life in your own hands.

_As he is walking back to Logan, contemplating all the reasons why he couldn't and shouldn't care about Mac, he sees Lorena stumbling her way back from wherever she had been. She is about to trip over a log when he rushes up to her and steers her away from the dangers of the bonfire. His arm is around her shoulders trying to hold her steady and she grabs onto his waist with both hands, giving him what he assumes is her best flirtatious smile. _

"_Dick, you so sweet." She slurs, tightening her grip on his waist. _

"_And you're so drunk, but thanks, that's not the word people usually use to describe me." He replies prying one of her hands from off him. _

"_I'm not that drunk." She says perfectly this time._

_He looks down at her for a second trying to figure out what's going on. She straightens up and starts walking normal but doesn't take her arm from around his waist. "What?" his confusion is evident on his face. _

"_I just, I don't know, I was scared meeting everybody. I thought that if I was drunk than it would be easier, but I really don't like the taste of beer, so I faked it." Her embarrassment is written all over her face and he feels bad for her. "Plus I was too scared to talk to you at first, that kind of broke the ice." She shrugs her shoulders, he can feel the movement with his arm. He isn't really sure what to say to this, he has known girls to fake getting drunk before just to use it as an excuse to do whatever they wanted, but she seems so different from those type of girls and he is pretty sure that this is the first time she has done something like this. Her innocence reminds him of Mac and a thought flashes across his mind. What if it wasn't Mac herself that he liked kissing, what if it was innocent girls in general? He suddenly has to know if kissing every innocent girl made him feel the same, he has to know to be able to figure this Mac situation out. Before he can second guess himself he reaches down and grabs Lorena by the chin, kissing her with as much enthusiasm as he had with Mac. He knows instantly that it is not the same, despite her dislike for it she tastes like beer and sand and throw up, he can only imagine why. _

_She pulls away from him and lightly hits him on the chest. "I'm not that kind of girl." She whispers lasciviously. _

"_Hey don't mind me, let me just get out of your way here." As soon as he hears Mac's voice he prays that she didn't see him kiss Lorena. When he looks over at her, he can tell that she did. Her face looks heartbroken and he knows that he is the one that made her feel that way, just like he knew he would. She walks by him looking straight in his eye, he wants to look away to avoid seeing the hatred and disgust that is evident on her face, but he makes himself look at it, he deserves it, after all he is a dick._

"You're an idiot Dick, an even bigger one than I ever thought possible." All the fight has gone out of Veronica's voice and now she just sounds mildly irritated.

He knows that he can't dispute that fact and he doesn't know what else to say. "Yeah, I know."

"Fix it." Is all Veronica says before she hangs up, leaving him to hold a silent phone up to his ear, wondering just how in the hell he is supposed to do that.

**A/N: I'm not usually into authors giving hints or anything like that about future chapters, but I do want to let you know something. I know that it seems like I am placing all the blame on Dick and ignoring the fact that Mac said some things that were very hurtful. I promise, I'm not. The main purpose of this chapter was to get the events of the night told from Dick's POV. The next chapters will focus on how Dick reacts to what Mac said and how they both try to make it up to each other…if they can…lol I'm not gonna tell, you'll have to read and find out for yourselves. **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Okay guys sorry it took so long to update, my daughter came back from her grandma's house and I don't have as much free time as I used to. I will still try to update at least twice a week, I hope that doesn't make anyone stop reading, this story is just getting started guys and I hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter 11**

One day turned into three, turned into a week turned into two. Mac is surprised how easily she goes back to doing what she always did before. Work, home, eating with her family, pre-reading her textbooks for next semester, and staying up late to master another videogame or see what random businesses she can hack into. She tries spending time with Wallace and Cameryn who both insist that they don't mind, but she still feels incredibly awkward and cuts out early on the second occasion.

She spends most of her social time with, yes, believe it or not, Parker and Lorena. The weekend after the bonfire Parker and Lorena showed up on Mac's doorstep begging for her forgiveness, professing their ignorance about Mac's feelings for Dick. As soon as they said that dirty "f" word, Mac vehemently denied any thoughts of Dick other than as Logan's roommate and attributed the breakdown at the bonfire to her lack of sleep that weekend and the fact that she must have been premenstrual. Neither girl dared to bring up the subject again, instead they all abided by the unspoken agreement that the now notorious weekend had never happened. A decision that Lorena was more than happy to agree to, seeing as she was still highly embarrassed by her own behavior on the night in question.

Veronica too seemed more than willing to pretend the whole ugly event never occurred. Once Mac refused her two offers of 'girl chat' to talk about her feelings on the subject, she took that as a sign that Mac had already realized her mistake, was as repulsed by it as Veronica herself was, and never wanted to be reminded of it again. Veronica was thankful that Mac didn't appear to have any residual feelings for Dick as that would have made her childish hatred for him all the more awkward.

Logan was not as easily persuaded to leave the subject alone. The Wednesday after the bonfire, he was not surprised when Mac asked him to meet her at Java the Hut for their weekly meeting about the website, instead of at his and Dick's room. He chalked it up to her awkwardness about what happened and her anger at Dick. He figured that she just needed a little time and then things would get back to normal. He didn't bring up the incident or the change in venue at all during that meeting, fully expecting that within the next couple of days Dick would grovel, Mac would be stubborn but finally forgive and the two, who obviously cared about each other would get back on track to having the type of epic relationship that he and Veronica had. When he invited her over that weekend for a marathon of "Saved by the Bell" and she declined using work as an excuse, he wasn't concerned. When the following Wednesday came along and again she requested that they meet at Java the Hut, he decided to bring up the once taboo subject.

Logan was already seated at a small table with a drink in front of him when Mac arrived ten minutes late. "Well look who finally decided to grace us with her presence."

Mac scanned the surrounding tables then looked back to Logan, "Us?"

"That's what they say, it sounds funny when you just say 'me'. Go ahead and try it, I think you'll agree." Logan urged her, his tone serious but his eyes laughing.

"Look who finally decided to grace me with her presence." Mac said, then grimaced, "You're right that does sound strange." Logan nodded giving her his 'I told you so' look.

Logan figured the best method for talking to Mac about 'the incident' was to approach it head on, she was way too smart for any type of manipulative conversational tactics he was use to employing. "So Mac, when you gonna put Dick out of his misery and come back to the apartment?"

Mac was taken completely by surprise, so far all of her friends where holding to the agreement to not bring up anything remotely close to talking about 'the incident', she was almost able to believe that it really hadn't happened at all. With one sentence Logan burst the nice little bubble that she had surrounded herself with. "I uh, I guess I don't have an answer for that." And she didn't, not really. She missed hanging out with the guys, she missed the carefree feeling she had when she was with them, especially Dick. And she missed Dick, she really did, and she hated that fact. She had just started to get used to the fact that she might like Dick and enjoy spending time with him and then just like that, she has to get used to the fact that she misses him? The whole situation was leaving her exhausted.

Logan looks as if that was exactly what he was expecting her to say, "Well I do, this weekend we are having a Christmas in July party and you are coming."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." Mac can't even imagine what inane choice she would end up making at this party. At the rate she is going she would probably end up sleeping with Dick before the night was through or worse yet, Tanner Sutcliffe.

"Come one Mac, we miss you. You and Veronica are the only girls that I actually enjoy spending time with. And I think you _are_ the only girl that Dick enjoys spending time with."

"You mean besides Lorena." It wasn't a question. Mac knew that Dick hadn't so much as contacted Lorena since the bonfire but Logan didn't know that she knew that. Mac also knew that Dick hadn't tried to contact her since the bonfire either. She couldn't say that she was exactly surprised, he gave no indication that he ever would for any reason, but it still upset her more than she wanted to admit.

"I wish you would listen to Dick's side of the story. He's not always a bad guy."

Mac was beginning to get irritated at Logan's insistence to talk about Dick. "Logan, I appreciate your concern but I honestly don't care. I'm not sure why I got upset at the bonfire, but it had nothing to do with Dick. And as for the party, I don't want to come because I have to work all weekend and I'm going to be exhausted." The look on her face said it all. End. Of. Discussion.

That was when Logan realized that he couldn't be the one to fix this, they would have to do it on their own. Mac could deny her feelings all she wanted but Logan knew that you didn't get that angry at someone if you didn't care about them. That kind of crazy, passionate anger that they write the really good break up songs about. That was the kind of anger he knew Dick was feeling about what Mac had said to him, and he could tell that was the kind of anger that Mac was feeling about what Dick did. He had originally thought that it was just Dick who was living in denial about the connection the unlikely pair shared, but he could sense now that Mac was just as guilty of ignoring the fact that seemed so obvious to Logan.

"Okay Tony, you're the boss. No party, but can we at least have our 'business' meetings back at the room from now on?"

Mac knew that she couldn't logically deny Logan's request without refuting her previous statement about not caring about Dick. "Of course, I just thought a little change would be nice." With that being said, Logan seemed more willing to get back to the task at hand, that of figuring out how well their underwear party idea had helped or hurt their website. Mac was extremely grateful and Logan didn't bring up the subject again.

As surprised as Mac is at her ability to get back to her old way of life, Dick is unsurprised at his. Surfing, partying, trying to get laid, basically being a slacker, it's a pretty easy routine to get sucked back into. His days and nights are a blur and that brief intermission when he almost became one of those guys who acts mature and has adult relationships and shit dissipates completely from his head never to be thought of again. Except. Except when he does think about it. Except when he wears the t-shirt that Mac bought and every girl he walks by gives him a dirty look. Except when he watches "Garden State" and that song plays in the background, the one that he and Mac danced to. Except when he sees some pregnant chick and thinks about the disgust in Mac's voice when she said what she said to Lorena. Except when he goes to sleep and either dreams that same dream about Beaver or a different one about Mac. Yeah, except for all those times, he doesn't think about it at all.

Dick has decided to ignore Veronica's decree on the phone to fix whatever happened between him and Mac. At first he was going to. He stayed awake all night after the party and the following night trying to figure a way to make it up to her, to get her to understand his side of the story. He wanted things to get back to the way they were when they were friends and they could spend hours playing videogames or watching cheesy TV shows. At first he wanted it to get back to the way that it wasn't yet but that he was sure it was going toward. Him and Mac. Together. Not, him. And Mac. Just friends. But the more he thought about it the more he was sure that that was NOT a good idea. Look how easily he could screw up and hurt her when they weren't even together, how much worse would he hurt her if they were actually together? It was easy to convince himself that what he felt kissing her against her car was nothing more than the side effects of having such a great day and just genuinely being happy. And the memory of what she said about him "the obnoxious frat boy" made it pretty easy to convince himself that she felt nothing for him and probably never wanted to talk to him again anyway, so what was the point in trying to apologize?

On the Monday after their Christmas in July party, Dick sits on the couch staring at the tree they set up and contemplating how the tree, the decorations and the fat guy in a red suit had anything to do with some dude being born thousands of years ago, a fact that one of the girls at the party had tried, in vain, to debate with everyone else there.

"I think if you stare at it any harder it might just burst into flames." Logan comments coming in from the kitchen carrying a bowl of cereal.

Dick looks up at him surprised, so deep in thought that he forgot Logan was even there. "Uh, yeah, I was just thinking about things." He turns his attention back to the tree, now wondering how the candy canes figured into the equation.

"About Mac?" Logan hasn't brought up this subject since the phone call with Veronica where he learned what had happened that night and he knows Dick probably doesn't want to talk about it, but he has decided to take some sort of action. If he can't fix it for them, he can at least get them pointed in the right direction. He wishes someone would have done the same for him and Veronica after the first time they broke up, maybe they would have gotten back together sooner and would still be together now.

"What? No." Dick spits out, finally tearing his gaze away from the tree to give Logan a dirty look. "Why would I be thinking about Mac?" Logan sits across from him and puts his feet up on the ottoman. He stars at Dick while chewing his food but doesn't say a word. The two are silent for several minutes in this battle of wills and Dick's constant need for conversation makes him no match for Logan's silent brooding. "Okay fine, but I don't want to talk about it."

"Dude when are you going to accept the fact that she is not like other girls, she is good for you and you guys need to be together? She made you happy man, you're like a human being when she is around. She's your Veronica."

"She is nothing like Ronnie."

"I know that, what I mean is she makes you happy and she makes you a better person just like Veronica does for me."

Dick knows that Logan is right but he is so not ready to admit it to himself, nevermind to Logan. 'Yeah and how's that working out for you? How's Ronnie these days? Oh yeah, you wouldn't know cause you're not together!" It just slips out, Dick didn't mean to make Logan feel bad. "Sorry dude, forget I said that."

Logan doesn't seem bothered by his comment, he takes another bite of cereal and turns his attention to the tree that Dick was contemplating earlier. "You're right. The difference is that I can admit that I want Veronica back in my life. You can't even admit that she means something to you." Logan looks pointedly at Dick then gets up to put his bowl back in the kitchen. When Logan goes back to his room Dick again looks at the Christmas tree, only this time it isn't the meaning of Christmas that he is contemplating, it's Mac.

The next day Dick wakes up late and makes his way into the living room to find Logan sitting on the couch surrounded by luggage. The sight makes Dick stop in his tracks to figure out who was there, or where Logan was going. Did he mention anything about going anywhere? Dick was so wrapped up in his own thoughts yesterday he wasn't sure if Logan had said anything or not.

"I was thinking about our conversation yesterday and so I'm gonna do the big grand gesture and I'm getting her back." Logan announces when he notices Dick standing in the room looking confused.

"Huh?"

"I'm going to see Veronica. I want her back in my life. I'm flying to Virginia to surprise her and I'm not coming back until she's mine again." Dick wants to tell him to rethink his plan but the ecstatic and determined look on his face makes him keep his mouth shut.

When Logan leaves Dick orders himself some room service and has just settled into his favorite spot on the couch when he hears a tentative knock on the door. Way too soon to be the room service, he is at a loss as to who it would be and why. His eyes widen in surprise when he opens the door to see Mac standing in front of him.

"Hi." They said in unison, Mac fidgets in the hallway looking anywhere but at Dick who is leaning awkwardly against the door. She is regretting her decision to come here now. She just wanted her friends back, Wallace was too wrapped up in Cameryn and Parker and Lorena were entirely too girly she couldn't keep hanging out with them. She had decided that she wasn't going to let one stupid mistake ruin her friendship with Logan or with Dick, after all they had been friends and she wanted them to be that way again. But right now, seeing Dick, remembering what happened, she didn't know if that was even possible.

"Ghost World. What's up?"

Dick's sudden reversion to using his annoying nickname for her instantly angers her and all feelings of awkwardness leave her. She glares at him then pushes her way past him and stomps into the living room. He slams the door and follows after her. "Don't call me that!"

"Fine, CINDY. What's up? You lowering your standards to hang out with 'obnoxious frat boys'?" Dick couldn't help but wince slightly as he said this it still stung him to think of her calling him that.

Mac knew this was going to be a bad idea, why did she talk herself into coming? "Oh my god you're and ass."

"That's what they tell me."

"Where is Logan?" They needed a buffer and quick.

"Virginia."

"Virginia?"

"Yeah he's going to win Ronnie back or something he just left like twenty minutes ago." Dick hears someone knock on the door again and is grateful for the distraction. He wasn't sure how he pictured his first conversation with Mac following 'the incident' but he knows it wasn't the screaming match that he was sure was going to begin shortly.

"And do you think that's a good idea? What if Veronica isn't happy to see him? What if he does something stupid and comes back all depressed? How could you let him go?"

Dick looks at her likes she's crazy. And maybe she is. Maybe it was crazy to come here and try to be friends with Dick again, maybe it was crazy to think that things could go back to normal after everything. But so what? It was crazy for her to ever like Dick in the first place, for her to kiss him, it was even kinda crazy just for her to be friends with him, so what was one more crazy thing? He gives her one last crazy look then disappears, reappearing seconds later with the food service cart.

"Um, because he's a big boy. If he wants to hop a plane and make a fool of himself for Ronnie than that's all on him."

"Wow what a good friend you are. I'm so glad Logan has someone like you looking out for him." For the first time Dick seemed to actually catch her sarcasm and he mirrors it with his own.

"So you're assuming that Ronnie is going to do something to hurt him again. Wow what a good friend you are."

Mac can feel her anger rising and she wishes that she had something to throw at his head, preferably something hard. "You know what I mean!"

"Do you know what you mean?" Dick counters, he isn't sure exactly why they are arguing but he is smart enough to know that it doesn't have anything to do with what they are currently arguing about.

"You're infuriating!" Mac picks up a pancake from the cart and briefly considers using it to throw at his head then changes her mind and takes a bite out of it instead.

Dick follows suite and sits himself on the couch, chomping down on the food loudly. "And you're confusing, you need to remember to use little words when talking to us knuckle draggers."

Mac stopped chewing and looked to Dick, it was obvious that what she had said at the bonfire bothered him and she was genuinely surprised, she didn't think he had even noticed. She felt her anger start to subside and be replaced by feelings of guilt. "I'm sorry about what I said. I shouldn't have, you're not a Neanderthal." She didn't know what else to say she knew she should apologize for the other thing she said but it was a true statement and she kind of wasn't sorry that she said it, it had bothered her ever since Veronica had told her about it.

Dick is surprised at her apology, how many times did girls apologize to him, usually it was the other way around, him doing something stupid then groveling for forgiveness while the chick finally accepted but then held it over his head and brought it up every time she saw him. Even when they did something stupid they would never apologize, instead turning it around on him and he would end up being the one to apologize, again. But here was Mac willingly telling him sorry for what she said, not even blaming him when, lets face it, she really could have, since it was his actions that caused her to lose her temper. He is instantly reminded of how much different Mac is than any other girl he has ever known and he wants to smile at her but he knows that she will probably take it the wrong way.

"I'm sorry to. For you know, kissing you, then kissing Lorena." Dick stammers forcing himself to look at Mac, her face turns red and she quickly looks away.

"Whatever, I don't wanna talk about it." She had thought that she wanted an apology from Dick, wanted an explanation for his behavior, but as soon as he started talking she just kept picturing the image in her head and remembering how stupid she felt, she didn't want to be reminded of that again. "Apology accepted." She added in her best 'end of discussion' voice.

"Okay, so…." Dick begins not really sure where the rest of this conversation is going. He eyes the rest of the food on the cart but is sure that it has gone cold by now.

"I miss hanging out over here. I want my friend back." Mac finishes getting the words out as fast as she can before she can change her mind. She is sure that the blush is still on her cheeks but it's the truth.

Dick looks at her out of the corner of his eye, a sly smile spreading across his face. "You miss me." He states, his regular cockiness is once again evident in his voice.

Mac knew she shouldn't have said that, that's just what Dick needs, one more reason to feel cocky. "I think what I miss is your gaming system." She teases but the look doesn't leave his face.

"Just admit it, you missed me. It's okay I won't tell anyone."

Mac rolls her eyes picking up a now cold pancake and tossing it at him. He watches as it lands pitifully on his chest then rolls down to come to a stop on his lap. After staring at it for a second he picks it up and takes a bite, giving Mac the biggest grin he can while still keeping his food in his mouth.

"Are we friends again?" She asks, ignoring his previous comment completely.

Dick gets up from the couch and turns the system on tossing her a remote control. "When were we not?" For a minute Mac thinks he is trying to be smart, but then she realizes it was never him saying that they weren't friends anymore, it was her. She smiles and picks up the remote, thankful that she has her friend back and that this doesn't feel awkward anymore.

Later that night, Mac is home in bed having the first good nights sleep since the bonfire. Her sleep is quickly interrupted by her recurring dream, the same as always. She tosses and turns trying desperately to wake herself up but to no avail.

**Mac is sitting on the roof of the Grand, her feet dangling over the side as she watches the cars go by down below. She hears someone calling her name and she quickly turns around, swinging her legs back around and placing her feet on the solid roof. When she turns she notices that Veronica is standing in the middle of the roof, she calls to her but Veronica doesn't acknowledge that she is there. Mac walks up to her and sees that Veronica seems to be frozen in place, a look of terror on her face, she is looking to where Mac was just sitting on the ledge. **

"**Mac, there you are." She turns to the voice, it's Cassidy. He is wearing the same clothes that he had on the last time she saw him alive and he is smiling wildly at her. **

"**Cassidy, what the hell are you doing here? What's going on?" **

**He dismisses her questions with a shake of his head and grabs her hand, pulling her towards the roof entrance. "Come on, I have to show you something." When she doesn't move he pulls her harder, hurting her arm.**

"**Ouch! Don't pull!" She is shocked by the anger that flashes across his face at her words. It is quickly replaced by another crazy smile. **

"**Sorry babe, come on, we have to hurry." He pulls her again, more gently this time.**

**Suddenly, they are standing outside of Dick and Logan's hotel room. Mac puts her hand up like she is about to knock but Cassidy just laughs at her, sliding the card in and opening the door. Mac is confused by what she sees in the room before her, it looks like there had been some sort of fight or something. The TV is on but the sound is off and all it is showing is static, the lamp on the other side of the couch has been knocked over and is laying, shattered, on the carpet, there is a cassette tape lying in the middle of the pieces of lamp. Mac looks to Cassidy a question on her lips, but the expression on his face tells her to keep her mouth shut. **

"**I knew it! He left! He can't leave! He's ruining everything!" He screams as he angrily pulls his fingers through his hair.**

"**Who left?" Mac whispers a little concerned to interrupt his tirade.**

**Cassidy looks at her as if she is the stupidest person he has ever seen, she has seen him give that look to Dick plenty of times. "Who do you think?" He asks through clenched teeth. He storms over to the cassette lying on the floor and picks it up, waving it maniacally at her. "And he threw the tape, he's got a temper too, so be careful." He puts the tape in the VCR and presses play, motioning for her to have a seat on the couch. She begins to protest but thinks better of it and slowly walks over to the couch sitting as far away from him as possible. When the tape starts playing she is surprised to see that it is playing a video of Cassidy and Dick, the images flying by quickly, Cassidy riding around on his bike, his hands taped to the handles, Dick holding Cassidy down on the hood of her car ready to beat him after they sent him a transvestite hooker, it's showing every confrontation between the brothers that Mac was witness too and other ones that she heard about second hand. **

"**I don't want to watch this." She states and pushes herself off of the couch.**

"**Sit down!" He yells making her jump, she stops walking but doesn't sit back down. "I know what's going on. I was the smart brother remember?" **

**Mac's fear is replaced by irritation, how dare he talk to her that way. "What are you talking about?"**

**Her irritated tone doesn't seem to bother Cassidy at all, he is looking at her as if he just realized something important. "You still haven't figured it out yet have you? Well would you mind hurrying it up, it'll be a lot easier for me when you do." With that he stands up and walks out the door, Mac takes one last look at the video still playing on the screen then follows him. When she catches up with him back on the roof he is already standing on the ledge, his back toward the wide open air. "It's not your fault you know, and no matter what Dick says you weren't just my beard. I promise. Goodbye Cindy Mackenzie, I'm sure I'll see you around." And with a wink he steps off the ledge, disappearing from Mac's view. She screams and rushes over to where he jumped, but when she looks over the side she can't see anything, just the cars driving by on the street below. **

"Cassidy!" She screams in her sleep, waking herself up. She is tangled in the blankets and she is sweating, her hair sticking to her face. She readjusts the blankets around her and tries to go back to sleep, but the unease she feels from the dream is making that impossible. She tosses and turns for a few minutes before deciding that she finally needs to talk to someone about her dream, maybe they'll help her to decipher it and then finally she'll stop having it.

She is worried as the phone rings thinking it may be too early for a phone call, far be it from her to interrupt anyone's beauty sleep. But what are friends for if not for waking up in the middle of the night to talk about a bad dream you had? She lets the phone keep ringing. She is about to give up and end the call when she finally hears the phone being picked up on the other end.

"I'm sorry I woke you, can we talk?" Her voice is barely a whisper she doesn't want to wake her parents.

"Sure are you okay, is something wrong?" Dick asks concerned as he rolls over in his bed and switches on his light.

"I'm okay. Remember that nightmare I had when I was sleeping at your place?"

It takes Dick's half asleep brain a few seconds to register what she is saying, when it finally does he can't explain the sudden tightening feeling he gets in his chest. He is actually afraid of what she is going to say. "Um, yeah I do."

"I'm ready to talk about it now."

_To be continued…._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"You are not listening. You have to balance from your stomach or you're going to wipe out every time." Dick steps back from Mac and shakes his head exasperated.

"I can't do this, I quit!" Mac says jumping off of the board and turning to face Dick.

"Nope, you promised, two hours and it's only been one. If you back out now then you know what you'll have to do." Dick smugly reminds her, wagging his finger in her face.

Mac takes a deep breathe, ready to tell him exactly where he can stick that wagging finger, then reminds herself that she had agreed and she was nothing of not loyal to her commitments. After she had called him last night, or earlier that morning depending on how you looked at it, they had stayed up all night analyzing her dream. Dick had seemed a little freaked out by it but he let her talk, not saying much of anything. When they were finally finished rehashing every minute detail they realized that the sun was coming up, Dick patiently explained to Mac that since she had kept him up all night then she owed him. She was terrified to question just what he thought she owed him and she could tell that Dick found that fact highly amusing.

"Well you know that my surfing buddy is currently out of state, so I need someone to come surf with me." Mac wasn't sure what she had thought he was going to make her do but that was not it.

"Um, hate to burst your bubble but I don't know how to surf. I barely know how to swim." Mac said feeling slightly embarrassed about the swimming thing not the surfing thing.

Dick stared at his phone for a second trying to decide if she was lying or not, he decided that she wasn't. "Seriously? You live in southern California your entire life and you don't know how to swim?"

"I said I barely know how to swim, not that I don't know how to swim, pay attention. And I really don't know how to surf."

"Well then I'll teach you, we don't even have to go into the water we can practice on the beach first."

Mac really wanted to say no but she didn't have anything else to do that day. "What if I say 'no'? What will I owe you then?" Mac wanted to see what other options she had, she would weigh the pros and cons for both and decide which one would be least painful.

Dick laughed loudly on the other end of the phone. "You'll just have to wait and see, it'll be fun though."

"For who?"

"Me." Mac wasn't going to touch that with a ten foot pole.

"So do you just want to meet on the beach in say thirty minutes?" She was sure she could handle a brief lesson in surfing on the beach with Dick to avoid whatever twisted other 'favor' he could think up for her to repay him with. She could let him begin then use some lame excuse to cop out on the rest and she would never have to get in the water. She so had this figured out.

"And I know how you chick's minds work, don't think you'll beg off after ten minutes. You gotta give it a fair shot, two hours at the least."

"Two hours? That's ridiculous, I'm not agreeing to that."

"Fine, then come by my house in about an hour, bring some whipped cream, some honey, and a pair of fuzzy handcuffs, there are other ways you can repay me." Mac knew he was just being his normal flirty self but for some reason the suddenly lower octave of his voice sent chills down her spine and to other areas of her body. She half choked out a laugh and pushed the images out of her brain that were threatening to quickly turn x-rated.

"Okay okay, two hours. Pervert."

So now Mac was committed to two hours spent fake surfing with Dick on the beach or who knows how long spent doing who knows what, who knows where with Dick. Mac is silent as she lowers her head fully examining the board, debating which situation is worse. Burning in the sun on the beach, looking like a fool who can't stand up by herself while Dick continually puts his hands on her waist to steady her causing certain banished thoughts to pop up in her head over and over. Or, agreeing to whatever else Dick has in mind, not knowing at all what he could possibly be thinking. It could be something easier, hacking into the Hearst student files and upping his GPA and class ranking. It could be something harder, best not to think about what the harder could be, they were friends but this was Dick Casablancas, it could literally be anything.

Finally, Mac looks back up to Dick who is waiting patiently for her to decide what she wants to do. "I give up. I'll do whatever else you want, surfing is killing me and we're not even in the water yet."

A huge smile spreads across Dick's face, "Awesome. Now let's get something to eat." He says picking up his board and leaving Mac standing confused behind him.

"That's your favor, that I go eat with you? If you wanted a date you could have just asked you know, I might have said 'yes'." Mac teased running to catch up with his long strides.

"Nope, the eating is because I don't know about you but I'm starving. The favor will come later, when you least expect it." They have reached their vehicles and Dick turns to look at Mac. "I know where we can go, want to follow me?" Mac nods and they both get into their respective vehicles. She is surprised when they head back towards the Grand, then confused when he actually pulls into the parking garage.

"You could have just said 'we're going back to the Grand' it would have been easier." Mac points out when they are both out of their cars.

"But we're not, we're going over there." Dick points across the street to a small gray building with a "Bate's Diner" sign towering above it, as many times as Mac had been to the Grand she doesn't remember ever seeing it before. "They've got awesome omelets."

"You like omelets?"

"Eggs in any form. I can't get enough seriously, it's like an addiction."

"One more to add to your list." Mac says under her breath but Dick hears her and gives her a sideways glance.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asks, curious as to what she thinks he might be addicted too.

Mac wishes she hadn't said anything, she didn't really mean anything by it she was just being a smart ass, but Dick is looking at her expectantly, waiting to hear what she has to say. "You know booze, sex and eggs, it's kind of a random list of addictions."

"You think I'm addicted to booze and sex?"

"Yeah just a little bit."

"I don't know if I should be offended or not." Dick says as he opens the door to the diner for her. "I'm pretty sure that was an insult."

"Not really, just an observation. I'm an avid observer of the human condition."

"Oh yeah and what's my condition, that I'm addicted to booze and sex?" They are at the counter now and Mac avoids having to answer him by stepping up to place her order. When Dick is done ordering and he pulls out his wallet, Mac tries to refuse his offer, but he insists.

"Now I'll owe you even more." Mac whines as they step to the side to wait for their food.

"Yeah you do. And believe me I never forget when I'm owed something." Mac is sure that he is right, he is the type that would remember a debt ten years later and make someone pay up. She hopes that he doesn't make her wait too long for whatever he is going to make her do, she doesn't know if she can stand the suspense.

Neither of them speaks again until they have their food and they are walking back across the street to the hotel. "So you never answered my question." Dick is the first one to speak after dutifully looking both ways down the street.

Mac was hoping he had forgotten about their earlier conversation, evidently he had not, she decides to go the route of ignorance. "What question?"

Dick can tell that she is avoiding answering and he wants to know why. Was he really that shallow of a person that she thinks all he cares about is drinking and getting laid? He hoped not. Maybe the old immature Dick only thought about those things, but he has been trying to grow up lately, he had hoped that she had noticed. "That you think I'm addicted to booze and sex."

"That's not a question." Mac is still desperately trying to avoid answering the question that she knew he was asking.

"Fine, smarty pants, _do you think that_ I'm addicted to booze and sex?" As much as he wants to, he avoids looking her in the eye, he is hoping that if he doesn't stare her down she will give him an honest answer.

"Well, if the drunken whorey shoe fits…." Mac tries to play if off as a joke she doesn't want to hurt Dick's feelings but honestly she did think that he was slightly addicted to both, maybe not intervention level addicted, but addicted enough that it was noticeable.

Dick doesn't reply to this, he just nods his head like he's heard it all before and keeps walking. They walk in silence all the way to the elevators. Half way up, Mac has finally had enough and turns to Dick. "Well people wouldn't think that about you if you weren't sleeping with a different girl three times a week." Mac chooses to believe that the sudden tightening of her chest when she says this is due to the fact that the elevator has stopped abruptly and she almost lost her balance, equilibrium and all.

They are silent once more as someone steps on the elevator with them, getting off two floors later.

"And the drunken thing?" Dick questions as the doors slide closed again.

"You have three party pigs, three. And a fully stocked bar in your hotel room. I think that speaks for itself." Mac doesn't bother sugar coating it, if he doesn't realize what people think about him by now than he is a lost cause. "Dick have you ever been to a party without getting wasted?"

Dick laughs, is that a real question? "What is the point of that? That's why it's called a party."

"Well then I rest my case."

"Okay miss 'just one more jello shot'." Dick does his best Mac impersonation which comes out sounding more like a prepubescent boy.

"One time, one party. Are you ever going to let me forget that night?" Thank god, Mac thinks as the elevator doors ding open. As they enter the penthouse, instead of sitting down on the couch as Mac thought he would, Dick makes his way to the balcony, motioning for her to follow. He settles himself in a chair and puts his feel up on the rail, Mac follows him and they both dig into their omelets. Mac has to admit, they are pretty amazing.

After savoring half of his omelet, Dick finally looks to Mac again. "Do you want to forget that night?" He doesn't know why he said that, he wasn't planning to but it had been bothering him for a long time.

That was the million dollar question wasn't it? If she could forget that night then everything that happened thereafter would be seen in an entirely different context, for both of them. Some things probably wouldn't have happened at all, the scene she made at the bonfire most importantly, but did she actually want to forget it? Without that night she probably wouldn't be friends with Dick right now, acquaintances yes, friends no.

"I don't really remember that night." It was at least half true, she still didn't remember everything that happened that night, she did remember what she is sure he is referring too, but he didn't need to know that, let him think that she didn't remember anything from that night, it would probably be best for everyone involved.

Dick eyed her suspiciously, he didn't think that he believed her but he decided to let it slide, this time. "I don't remember half of the last four years of my life." Dick laughed easing the tension that had settled over the pair.

"Exactly my point. Let me tell you a little secret. Sometimes it's funner to be the sober one surrounded by a bunch of drunk losers. It's pretty easy to convince people to do stupid things when they are drunk."

"Funner, even I know that's not a word."

"That's what you got out of that entire sentence did you listen to anything else I said?" Mac was less annoyed than she sounded, she really enjoyed antagonizing Dick.

Dick rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "Yes mommy, I was listening. Sober, drunk, convince, stupid." He smiles widely at her.

"Nice." Mac says picking up her napkin, ready to throw at him then stops herself. Why does she always feel the need to throw things at him or to slap him, hit him, kick him, something. She is simultaneously relaxed and wound up every time they are together. She has an inkling as to why, she doesn't want to think about it.

"Okay, I'll make you a deal." He rubs his hands together in a 'this is gonna be so good' kinda way. "The next party that I go to, I will sit back and watch all the debauchery sober, IF…." He takes his time finishing his sentence, enjoying the look on Mac's face.

Mac can only assume the worst is going to come out of Dick's mouth, she is steeling herself for some outrageous deal involving fifteen trained monkeys and a small aircraft carrier. "Oh my god Casablancas, spit it out already!"

"IF, you are one of the stupid people partaking in the debauchery that I get to watch and make fun of."

"Who says I'll be going to any parties that you go to?"

"I'll make sure that you do, that's part of the deal. You come, get drunk, I stay sober, watch you make a fool of yourself, see what kind of stupid things I can convince you to do, then I, always the gentleman, make sure that you get home safely." Dick is silently praying that this little game works, as much as he enjoys spending time with sober-Mac, he is definitely intrigued by the uninhibited side of drunk-Mac.

"I'm assuming that also means you won't be taking random girls home on these particular nights either?"

Dick studies her, is this really about people seeing him as a man-whore, or is it about her not wanting to see him leave a party with a random girl? He wants to think that it's the latter, but after everything that has gone down he is grateful that she is at least being his friend right now, he decides not to ask her. "Of course." He says simply.

"And how many parties are we talking here? Cause some of us do have to work as a means to pay for the college experience we are currently experiencing."

Dick shudders at the word "work" again, "Five."

Mac looks at him like he is crazy. "Two."

"Four."

"Two."

"Three."

Mac turns her attention over the rail watching the city carry on its business down below them. She can sense Dick's agitation at having to wait for her answer. After about two minutes she finally gives in, "Three. But they will be parties of my choosing, and no more underwear parties."

Dick is so excited he can hardly speak. He is going to have so much fun with this, she must have forgotten who she was talking to. "Deal."

Mac shakes her head but smiles at him, his enthusiasm was contagious. "Deal." She stands up and looks over the rail again, for real this time. Taking in the awesome view that the penthouse location gives them of the city all the way to the water, it's really beautiful and everything looks so peaceful from this high up. "I don't think I've ever been on your balcony before."

Dick has to stop himself from laughing out loud. "Um, yeah you have, on that night that we do not speak of."

"See there you go again, reminding me of things that I had forgotten and probably for a good reason." She turns around her back towards the view, almost afraid to ask Dick what she is about to. "What was I doing on the balcony?"

"If I recall, you were dropping shots and screaming something about college."

Images start to flood back into Mac's brain and she knows that he is telling the truth, she would be embarrassed if it was anybody but Dick who was telling her, she knows he has plenty of his own "I was so wasted" stories to tell, hers must be childish compared to his. "Awesome. And this is what you want to get a front row seat for at the next three parties?" She questions giving him an incredulous look.

"Absolutely. Now let's watch a movie." Dick says suddenly pushing himself off of his chair and walking over to the balcony doors.

"Wait, what?"

"A movie, Mackenzie, you put it in your dvd player, then all these tiny little people show up on your screen and tell a story, it's a like a magic book that comes to life." Dick slowly explains, like he is speaking with a small child or someone from another time.

"Thank you for that mind numbing explanation for what a movie is. What I meant to say was, 'that was random, where did that come from, why do you want to watch a movie?'"

"If we're going to be friends there are some very important things that I need to know about you. One, " he holds up his fingers as he starts ticking them off, "do you like surfing? No, but we're working on it. Two, can you hold your own against me when playing my games? Yes, you can usually kick my ass. And three, if I throw a random movie quote into the conversation are you going to be able to go along with it? I don't know, so we have to figure that out quickly."

"I see. Are those your only friendship requirements? Cause if so, that really explains a lot." Mac teases as she gets comfy on the couch. Dick gives her a dirty look and proceeds to pick out a movie from his collection.

"Just for that I'm picking the movie." He settles himself next to her, but not too close. He can hear Mac sigh loudly as the movie begins.

"Scarface. Seriously?" Mac says indignantly although she has never seen it and has always been curious, it had to have become a cult favorite for a reason. She is surprised that she gets into the movie, actually enjoying it. She catches herself tearing up when first Manny then Gina are killed. She discreetly wipes the tears from under her eyes as the credits roll.

"Wow, I've never seen anybody cry during Scarface. Hate to say it Mackie, but that is pretty girly."

"Well I'm sorry, I just felt sorry for him, he got in over his head and he loved his sister so much."

Dick looks at her incredulous, "You feel sorry for Tony Montana? The coke head, drug lord, murderer?"

"Oh shut up, let me pick the next movie."

"Sorry but I don't have 'Sleepless in Seattle' or 'Titanic'."

Mac shoots him a look and walks to the movie case, it takes her about ten minutes but she finally settles on one.

Dick is curious as she sits down and presses the play button on the remote. As the movie begins he shakes his head at Mac. "Hackers, why am I not surprised? You only picked this one cause it's about a bunch of computer nerds."

"Well you only have it because it has Angelina Jolie in it, I bet you just love the swimming scene."

"Sometimes twice."

Mac doesn't try to hide her disgust. "Eeeeewwww, that's disgusting. I really did not need to hear that." She inches her way away from Dick who just laughs and shrugs his shoulders.

An hour later they are both fast asleep on the couch, foot to foot with Dick's head hanging off the end. Mac rolls over and stretches herself awake. The movie is still playing but all she can think about is how tired she is and how a few more hours of sleep would be amazing, if only this couch were more comfortable. She is looking around the room for a pillow when she sees Dick's bedroom door. She quickly looks away and begins searching for something soft again. As if they have a mind of their own, her eyes unconsciously travel back toward Dick's bedroom door. She gently nudges Dick with her foot, he doesn't respond. Taking that as a sign that what she is about to do is okay, she tiptoes across the living room and into Dick's room. She sighs with contentment as she cuddles down under the covers. Thirty seconds later her eyes are closed and she is fast asleep again.

A couple hours later, Mac moves to get more comfortable and bumps into something solid. And warm. She bites back a scream and scrambles from the bed, getting tangled in the blankets and crashing to the floor. The warm and solid object stretches and rolls over. Mac is shocked to see the peaceful sleeping face of Dick. _That jackass_, she thinks to herself as she double checks to make sure she still has all of her clothes on. She is relieved to find that everything seems to be in its proper place. A devious smile crosses her face as she thinks of a way to teach him a lesson. After executing her plan she quietly tiptoes out the door and closes it softly behind her.

As Dick stirs but before he has fully awake, he unconsciously reaches out for the body he knows was lying next to him before. When he finds the other half of his bed cold and empty the disappointment wakes him up. He hopes that he didn't ruin their friendship by that little stunt, what was he thinking crawling into bed with her? He knows what he was thinking and it had nothing to do with the couch being uncomfortable. He shakes his head at himself as he pushes off of the bed. He is mulling over whether or not he should text her and offer some lame excuse or apologize as he walks out into the living room. The first thing he notices is that his laptop is sitting on the coffee table, opened. The second thing he notices he that he can hear people talking but they sound very tiny and far away. He cautiously walks over to his computer and pushes a button making the screen saver disappear. He laughs out loud when he sees what Mac has done. It's "Titanic" playing on his computer and when he tries to stop it or "x" out of it nothing happens, it just keeps right on playing, he can't even get the sound to turn off. He turns the computer off and reboots it, thinking he outsmarted her, but when the screen flashes to life again, the movie is still playing.

He searches for his phone and shoots a text message to Mac, _"You are so going to regret this Mackenzie." _

Seconds later his phone buzzes with a reply from Mac, "_Not as much as you are Casablancas " _We'll see about that, he thinks closing his phone. He reminds himself of the three parties that Mac has agreed to and he smiles, this is going to be fun.

_A/N: I really want to mention some readers who I appreciate for their consistent reviewing; __**Natskl, DevilJolie, Felicia1975, madilover, HoneyBee1 and LazzyMae, (sorry if I forgot anyone)**__ it really means a lot to me guys. And for everyone else, please consider reviewing, I don't care if it's good or bad as long as it is constructive. I would love to hear your thoughts on the story and any input or ideas you might have. I can't promise I will use them but I would still like to hear them. _


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Dick is so content sitting on his surfboard floating aimlessly in the water that he doesn't mind the fact that the waves are not surfable today. He doesn't even mind that he is out here all alone. The water being the one place where he allows his contemplative side to really come out. Sometimes, sitting on his surfboard he is dangerously close to becoming Logan's brooding twin. This morning is no different. He rests his hands on his knees, looking out over the vast expanse of ocean before him. He can see a few other people in the water, but they are far enough away that is isn't concerned about them.

Usually his intense contemplations were reserved for thoughts of Cassidy and his part in screwing him up. Sometimes his thoughts were on his mother who left and how he screwed up being a good son, or all the crap that his dad pulled and how it was probably because of some screw up of his. Today he is contemplating a dream. Well, two dreams actually, his dream about Cassidy and Mac's dream about Cassidy that appears to be a continuation of his dream. What the hell was that all about? It was kind of freaking him out, was the ghost of Cassidy trying to mess with him? Mess with them. He never believed in ghosts before, but now he's not so sure. And how he kept talking about fate. Fate? He wasn't fated to do the terrible things that he did, those kids weren't fated to die, neither was the mayor, he might have deserved to, but it wasn't fate.

Dick's sudden intense anger at Cassidy literally makes him feel like he is on fire, he grabs onto his board and leans to the side, causing it and him to tip over in the water. The cool water cascading over him calms him down enough, he grabs his board and swims back to the beach, collapsing on the warm sand.

Fate? He thinks again. Fate, why does that word trigger something in his brain? He vaguely remembers a drunken conversation, one of the few heart to hearts he and Cassidy ever shared.

"_So you upset about Madison?" Cassidy has stopped playing the game but is still holding the controller in his hand, he is looking at Dick cautiously as if he is going to yell at him at any second. _

"_Irritated, yes. She is freaking hot and a good lay. Upset, no. She is a bitch and as annoying as hell." Dick drops his own controller and leans back on the couch, shrugging his shoulders in an 'I don't care' gesture. _

"_Yeah, she is. And it's not like you're going to find the person you're supposed to be with in high school though." _

_Dick's usual mocking manner has been toned down by the bottle of vodka he has just finished off, he never was a mean drunk. Instead he looks at Cassidy curiously, confused by his meaning. "'Supposed to be with'?" He questions._

"_Yeah like your soulmate or whatever. You know, whoever fate has destined for you to be with." Cassidy still has that wounded puppy dog look on his face like he is expecting Dick to berate him or start beating him up, or something._

"_Fate? You believe in all that shit?" Dick was genuinely surprised, he had no idea that Beaver believed in something like that._

_Cassidy shrugs his shoulders, placing his controller on the coffee table in front of him. "I don't know, I guess. I mean, it would be nice if it was that easy wouldn't it? Like it's all out of our hands." _

"_You think Mac's your fate or something?" Dick isn't sure where exactly Beaver is going with this conversation. _

_Cassidy looks to Dick his face incredibly sad. "Nah, it would be nice if she was though, that would be so much easier." He leans his head in his hands and pulls his fingers through his hair, making it stand on end, a Casablancas nervous habit. _

_Even in Dick's drunken state he can tell that Cassidy is really upset, thinking about something that they are not even talking about right now. Part of him wants to comfort him and say something nice, but he doesn't. He doesn't say a word, grabbing his controller and restarting the game. Cassidy stares at him for a beat then angrily gets up off the couch and stomps his way to his bedroom. He never brings it up again. _

Still sitting on the warm sand, Dick shakes his head angrily at himself grabbing a nearby shell and tossing it with all his force into the surf in front of him. Looking back at that conversation now, he thinks he knows exactly where Cassidy was going with that conversation and he doesn't like it.

Walking back to his car though, something starts niggling at the back of his brain. Something about that conversation. He knows he was drunk but not that drunk, something isn't right, something is off with the way he remembers it, but he can't tell what it is. _Whatever, it's not_ _important anyway_. He thinks, climbing into his truck. He starts it up but pauses for a minute staring out at the water again, reminding himself to leave all his deep and contemplative thoughts here with the sand.

When he slides his key card into the slot on the door and pushes it open he is surprised to see luggage in the entryway. Slamming the door behind him, he walks into the living room to find it empty. Never stopping he walks over to Logan's door and knocks on it loudly. Nothing. He looks toward the balcony and sees it empty so he knocks on the door again, louder. This time he can hear a muffled voice come to him from the other side of the door.

"Logan that better be you or I'm gonna go Chuck Norris on somebody's ass." He yells through the door. Seconds later the door flies open to reveal a highly unkempt Logan on the other side. Half dressed, hair sticking up wildly, pale face, red eyes and reeking of liquor.

_Shit._ Dick thinks when he sees his friend. "Dude, like what happened? How was Virginia?" Did he really just ask that, obviously it didn't go well or he wouldn't be back already, looking like this.

"I don't want to talk about it." Logan pushes past him and walks to the bar, grabbing whatever bottle is closest and plops himself on the couch. After taking a long gulp he looks again to Dick who is still standing stunned in front of his bedroom door. "Are you gonna say 'I told you so' because if you do, I swear to god man, I will kick your ass."

Dick shakes his head and sits himself on the other side of the couch. He doesn't try to hide his outright staring at Logan, who diligently tries to avoid his gaze. "You make me talk about things I don't want to all the time, so what am I going to have to do to get you to talk?"

Logan snorts and takes another long gulp. "I don't know stick your hand in my back and move my mouth yourself."

"Things didn't quite go as planned I take it." Dick states grabbing the bottle from Logan and placing it on the table away from him, he would at least have to get up and move if he really wanted another drink.

Logan gives him a dirty look but doesn't make a move for the bottle. "Do they ever when Veronica is involved?"

"Hey you said it, not me."

"Seriously dude, I appreciate the concern, I'm fine really. I'm not gonna go all crazy shut in like last time. I just need some time to process." Logan's expression is earnest and Dick wants to believe him, but he has fallen down this particular hole more than once. He gives him one last look then goes off to take a shower and change his clothes.

The rest of the day passes slowly, Logan is brooding again, Mac is working and Dick has no desire to see anyone else. He is thankful when the night comes and he can finally succumb to sleep, which unfortunately passes too quickly, the next thing he knows it's morning again. Mac has to work again and Logan is brooding, still. The summer is turning out to be not as exciting as originally planned.

On the third day that Dick awakens to find Logan putting a dent in the couch and not showering, he has finally had enough. He storms over to the TV and shuts it off, he marches to the balcony door and flings them open letting in some fresh air, finally he stomps to Logan and forcefully pulls him up from the couch.

"Dude, shower, now." He commands pushing Logan in the direction of his room. Logan opens his mouth to protest but Dick shakes his head pushing him again, and Logan finally sulks off like a punished child.

"I'm still not going to talk about it." Logan announces having taken a shower and rejoining Dick on the couch.

"What did Ronnie do this time?" Logan's fist is quick as it swings through the air, but Dick is quicker having sensed it coming and he jumps off the couch in the nick of time. "Dude calm the hell down!"

"I am so tired of your goddamned attitude about Veronica man! Despite what you think she is not the she-devil!" Logan's face is turning a brighter shade of red with every word.

Dick wants to argue that point but realizes that now would not be the best time to make a joke about Veronica to Logan. "Well she sure seems to put you through a lot of hell." He mumbles knowing that Logan can still hear him.

"Dick, I'm warning you, do not say another word about Veronica. Not. Another. Word." The expression on Logan's face tells Dick that he is not playing and if he values his friendship with Logan at all he is going to leave the subject alone, for now.

"Whatever." Dick shakes his head and goes back into his bedroom, he doesn't need this shit. He knows what will make him happy. He opens his phone and sends a text to several of his frat buddies that he knows are still in town.

_Any parties tonight?_ It doesn't take long for him to get several responses. _Kyle Hansen is having a beginning of the end of summer party tonight at 9. _Dick smiles to himself, perfect.

The next text message he sends is to Mac, _party tonight 9, kyle hansen's house. Be there or owe me big ;)_

_I don't know Kyle Hansen….._

_Sure you do, he's a senior, he rents a house close to campus, always has kick ass parties_

_Oh, Kyle "I think I'm " Hansen?_

_That would be the one. 9 o'clock. _

_And if I'm busy?_

_You're not, plus you promised. _

_Fine I hope you choose wisely, after tonight you only get two more. _

_;) _As he sends his last text and closes his phone a devious smile spreads across his face, this is going to be fun.

****

Mac is so thankful that she got ahold of Parker and Lorena and convinced them to come with her to the party. However, she hadn't thought about the awkwardness that they might feel being around one another, they hadn't even talked since the bonfire. Mac was pretty sure that Lorena was harboring a little crush on Dick and she hoped that it wouldn't be too painful for her.

"Oh my god I totally love this song!" Parker exclaims excitedly and pulls Lorena out in the middle of the room where several other drunken girls are dancing.

Mac rolls her eyes but laughs anyway. She hasn't started drinking yet, having decided to wait for Dick. He has yet to arrive and Mac is getting agitated. She is thinking about leaving a nasty message on his voicemail when she feels someone slide into the seat next to her. Expecting to see Dick's face when she looks up from her phone, she plasters on the angriest look she can muster, he is so going to pay for being late.

"Woah, babe, I haven't even given you my line you can't be angry yet." It wasn't Dick, and Mac didn't know who it was. Dark hair, dark eyes, he looked like he shopped at the same stores as Piz.

Mac eyes him warily and snickers lightly, he was kind of cute. "Maybe I'm just one of those people who are angry all the time, just for the hell of it." Mac counters with a straight face.

"Nah, I saw you laughing with your girlfriends earlier. I even saw you singing along to the last Britney Spears song that was playing."

Mac racked her brain trying to think if she had in fact been singing along to a song, she was so absorbed in being mad at Dick that she didn't remember if Britney Spears had been playing or not. She opens her mouth to deny when she sees the smile flicker in his eyes, he's teasing her. Mac smiles for real this time and nervously looks back to where Parker and Lorena are dancing; Parker sees her looking and gives her a discreet thumbs up.

"So, can I get you a drink?" He asks giving her a flirtatious grin, Mac feels herself blush. She almost says 'yes' then remembers her deal with Dick and the fact that she is still mad at him for not being here yet.

"Thanks but I'm kind of waiting for somebody." She hopes that he will take the hint and leave, but he doesn't seem to care.

"He's a jackass." He simply states and for a second Mac thinks he knows that she is waiting for Dick.

She isn't blushing anymore. "Excuse me?"

"I just mean, whoever he is, he's a jackass for making you wait, for leaving you here alone." He says as he eyes her appreciatively.

"No it's not, I mean, it's not like that-" She is interrupted from finishing her thought as Dick walks up to her table, stepping between her and the stranger, his back towards Mac.

"Cory, man, it's nice to see you." His words are pleasant but his tone says 'get the hell away from her'. Cory looks from Dick to Mac and back to Dick again.

"Whatever." He says sliding off the stool and disappearing in the throngs of people.

Again, Mac finds herself with the overwhelming urge to punch Dick. "Do you feel like a man now?" She says instead, she doesn't want to hurt her hand by punching him.

"Mackie, trust me he is a bigger dick than I am, AND" he looks at her pointedly, "an even bigger man-whore, just saying."

"I didn't think that was possible." Mac says seriously. Dick is momentarily offended until he see Mac's serious expression crack into a small smile. He smiles back at her running his fingers through his hair.

"Trust me it is. Now let's get this party started!" He grabs her wrist and pulls her toward the table with all the liquor on it. He is debating between beer and something harder when he sees Mac reach over and grab a jello shot. She tilts her head back and it's gone before he can say a word. Quick as a flash she grabs another one, downing it even faster if that was possible.

"All right babe, that's how we roll!" In his excitement he doesn't notice his little slip of the tongue, but Mac does. Her breath catches in her throat and quickly turns her head not able to look him in the eye. She can't explain how hearing him call her 'babe' made her feel so damn good and she is afraid that if he sees her reaction he'll realize what he said and he'll take it back, or play it off, something, and for reasons she doesn't want to admit to, that would make her incredibly sad. She needs another drink. As she gulps this one down she is amazed at how natural this has become to her, downing shots and hanging with Dick Casablancas at parties. Evidently the third time is the charm, she can feel the shot go straight to her head and she feels slightly woozy. She gives into the sweet release of the buzz, relishing it as her brain turns fuzzy in her head and the party starts looking that much better. When she reaches for a fourth, Dick tries to stop her with a look but she ignores it and grabs another anyway, daring him to say something. He doesn't, but as she finishes it he leads her gently away from the liquor and she lets him.

"Ooohhh look Parker." She says excitedly as she points to the table that is now occupied by the two girls. "And Lorena, you remember her don't you? You made out with her at the bonfire." Uh oh, the alcohol is already working its magic on her, making her say whatever comes to her mind, she better watch out, she's gonna end up saying something that she can't take back.

By the time they reach the table, Lorena, who has monitored their progress across the floor, is looking incredibly uncomfortable. Mac pats her arm as she sits down next to her. "He'll be nice, I promise."

Dick is looking uncomfortable as well as he studiously avoids looking Lorena in the eye. "Okay, no more for you drunky McGee." He jokes trying to ease the tension. Parker laughs politely but doesn't say anything. Lorena just looks like she wants to dig herself a hole in the floor to crawl into.

"Oh come on guys, you can make out on the beach after you have just met, but you can't sit at the same table together?" Mac knows she needs to shut up but she doesn't want to. The alcohol is breaking down that little bubble she had put around 'the incident' and all that time she spend pretending that it never happened was wasted. Because here she is now, sitting next to both Dick and Lorena, furiously mad. She realizes that she never gotten an explanation from Dick, she remembers him apologizing after an argument and her stopping him, but he never tried again after that and she just let it go. She didn't want to think about it, about how stupid she felt, so she let things go back to normal and she let Dick off the hook. She pushed everything that she had been feeling from that night down deep inside and convinced herself that she wasn't feeling anything. She had lied. To herself. She's not a psychologist but she knows when you start lying to yourself about something then you're in big trouble.

Parker looks at Mac with a hateful expression and grabs Lorena's hand, pulling her away from the table. "Let's go to the bathroom." She says calmly to Lorena as she gives one last disdainful look to Mac.

"Mackie, seriously not cool." Dick whispers even though he knows that she has every right to be mad. He was kind of expecting this conversation to come up eventually, he just didn't think that it would be like this, at a party, with Mac drunk.

"I'm really tired of you saying that Dick, you know what's not cool, you." Mac can feel the alcohol slowly start to take her words away and the important point she was going to make to Dick floats out of her head like she left a window open. She looks up to the ceiling like she might be able to see it floating up there above her head if she looks hard enough. "I don't….understand. I mean, me, you, you Lorena. Why?"

Dick opens his mouth to speak but Mac cuts him off. "Don't want to know do I?"

Dick shakes his head sadly, "Probably not. For what it's worth I am sorry though."

"Me too." She stumbles off her stool and slowly makes her way through the crowd. This party was supposed to be fun, spending time with Dick and with Parker and Lorena, not a late night confessions show. She wonders at how her time with Dick is always taking a drastic turn, nothing can ever stay the way it starts out being. Why is that? She almost expects Dick to try to stop her, to catch up with her and bring her back. But when she glances back at him he is still sitting at the table, staring down at his empty glass, an unreadable expression covering his face.

When Mac makes it back to the liquor table there is only one shot left and she rushes to grab it before anybody else can. This one goes down so fast that she doesn't even remember tasting it. Her brain registers that just seconds ago she was mad at something but for the life of her she can't remember what. She is thankful.

Someone bumps into her viciously from behind, sending the empty glass tumbling to the carpet below them. She looks around to come face to face with the irritated face of Parker. "We're leaving now, will you be alright?" Mac looks around Parker to Lorena who has obviously been crying. She has the vague notion that it is her fault, the look she sees on the two girls faces, but she isn't sure why.

"Yeah, Dick. I'm, he's giving me a ride. Home." Mac manages to get out but as she looks around she realizes that she can't see Dick anywhere. Where did he go?

"I'll bet he is." Parker scoffs rolling her eyes at Mac's confused expression. She then abruptly turns and walks away from Mac, Lorena gives Mac a sad smile then turns to follow Parker who is already halfway to the door.

Mac reaches behind her for a shot but comes up empty handed, she is slightly put off until she spots Cory standing across the room, giving her a small wave. By the time she reaches him the only coherent thought in her brain is that of anger, at someone. She is almost sure it isn't him and so she gives him a smile.

"Still want to get me that drink?" She isn't sure how she manages to get that sentence out so clearly but she is proud of herself, it took a lot of effort. As he walks off in search of something liquid for her she feels someone grab her roughly around her upper arm.

"Excuse!" She exclaims then smiles when she realizes it's Dick. "Dickie! There you are!" She stumbles slightly but catches herself on his arm.

"Yeah I'm here and now we're leaving. This isn't what I had in mind for this little adventure."

"Don't wanna go." Mac maneuvers herself out of his grasp and turns to face him.

Dick leans closer to her so that she is the only one who can hear him "Mac, I told you to stay away from Cory, he's not a good guy." Dick warns, his voice low in her ear and it sends tingles down her spine and goose bumps up her arms.

Why does he care? She wonders as her brain starts to remember where her anger was stemming from. Dick. Lorena. Bonfire. Kissing. She snorts derisively at him and fixes her gaze on his eyes. "Do who you want, I'll do who I want." Cory is suddenly back by her side, pushing the cold glass in her hand. Dick shakes his head at her, but she just shrugs her shoulders and takes a drink. With her free hand she grabs Cory's and pulls him to the dance floor. She looks back at Dick who is eying them with an irritated look on his face. After one final look and a run through his hair with his fingers, he turns and stomps off in the other direction.

She makes it through the rest of the dance but she is stumbling so much by the end that Cory has to help her off the dance floor. He leads her over to the side away from the crush of people. Her unfocused eyes scan the room and are immediately drawn to Dick, he is standing catty corner from them, alone, and he is staring straight at her. She isn't sure but she thinks that the look covering his face right now resembles jealousy and hurt. Her heart lurches and she thinks it is probably the same look that he saw on her face the night of the bonfire. She shakes that thought out of her head and tries to focus on her anger. Remembering how she felt when she saw Dick kissing Lorena. She feels herself leaning in closer to Cory as he says something to her about not knowing her name.

"Mac. Call me Mac." She answers even though she is not entirely sure that he ever asked a question. She is still watching Dick, who is still watching her. As the incident replays itself over and over in her head she is letting herself getting angrier by the second. She desperately wants him to understand her hurt and her anger, she wants him to feel the way she did at the bonfire, stupid and used, and yes, heartbroken. She can hear the still sober part of her brain tell her to stop, that she doesn't really want to hurt Dick and she should just go home. She ignores it.

"Mac, I like it." Cory whispers his voice low and again Mac can feel tingles, this time they aren't good. She ignores those too. In much the same manner as she grabbed and kissed Dick at the underwear party, she executes the same move on Cory. Grabbing his neck and bringing his lips down to her level before she can second guess herself. The kiss itself isn't bad and she instinctively wants to close her eyes. She doesn't. Instead keeping her eyes on Dick's the entire time, who keeps his eyes on her, the entire time. She is surprised at herself, never thought she would be the type of person to do something like this. She can hear a tiny voice in her head say "not cool Mackie." She doesn't ignore it. She hopes that Cory can't taste the salty tears that are running down her face and splashing on his shoulder as she sees Dick finally turn away, disappearing into the crowd.

**A/N: Have you ever had a scene planned in your mind but when you started writing it the characters like completely take over and do something you had not planned? Yeah that's what happened with this chapter. I had every intention of the party scene to just be fun and flirty and fluff but as I was writing it I realized that Mac was still so hurt and angry by what had happened and getting drunk with something like that on your mind, its not gonna stay bottled up for long. I know that they had never really resolved anything and if I want them to ever be able to get together they are going to have to get all of that stuff out in the open and really hash it out, and I swear Mac just started spewing everything out entirely on her own lol Also I realize that this scene is pretty ooc for Mac, but in my opinion it makes sense that while falling in love with someone like Dick Casablancas she would end up doing something so unlike her. I hope it doesn't bother anybody too much. **

**Also, can somebody refresh my memory as to whether or not Parker knew anything about Cassidy and what he did? I really can't remember. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Mac gently pushes herself off of the bed, leaning up on her elbows to eye her surroundings. She wonders when it stopped being weird to wake up in the penthouse at the Neptune Grand. In Dick's bed. Because that's where she was. Again. Turning to the nightstand she sees the requisite bottle of Gatorade and ibuprofen. _Thank god for Logan. _Her phone is also lying next to the bottle, when she picks it up she sees that she has a missed call from Veronica and a text message from Parker. She checks the message first.

_Did you get home okay? _It was sent at one o'clock that morning.

_Yes. I'm at the grand. _As she lays the phone down on the bed in front of her she never takes her eyes off of it, willing it to vibrate with a response from Parker that she is pretty sure will never come. It doesn't. After a ten minute stare down she finally gives up. She is going to have to apologize to Parker and Lorena. And Dick. Damn, why couldn't last night be like her other drunken night, the one she can't remember? Because she can. Remember that is, every hateful, disgusting, heartbreaking minute of it. It only gets a little fuzzy near the end, Dick finally reappearing to lead her out the door and down to his truck in silence, driving home in silence, Dick walking her to his bedroom and laying her down in silence, then turning and walking back out the door, in silence. Maybe all those crazy alcoholics had something in their "getting drunk enough to forget" theory, because she sure as hell would like to forget last night.

Mac doesn't really want to talk to Veronica right now but knows that if she doesn't call her back soon then Veronica will get worried, after all, she IS a marshmallow. She is entirely unprepared for Veronica's enthusiasm, "Q!" She yells into the phone, grabbing Mac's head and slamming it painfully in a brick wall.

"Woah, can we bring it down a notch there Bond?" Mac whispers hoping that Veronica will take the hint.

She does, kind of, stage whispering into the phone. "Uh oh, where you out partying late again last night? I've told you and told you liquor BEFORE beer, when will you learn?"

"No beer, just liquor with a liquor chaser. And one for the road." Mac laughs and instantly regrets it. _Note to self, no laughing with a hangover._

Veronica is silent on the other line and Mac can visualize her trying to figure if Mac is joking or not. "Is your life really that sad without me, you have to drink away your lonely nights?" Veronica teases, obviously deciding that Mac is joking.

"Something like that. I may be in rehab by the time you get back from Virginia." Although not likely seeing as how Mac is never ever EVER going to drink again.

"Wait, you're serious? You really have a hangover right now?" She can hear the laughter in Veronica's voice.

Mac tries to make her voice sound stern instead of hungover, "Yeah laugh it up blondie, I blame you for this anyways."

"Moi? Whatever do you mean?"

Mac debates with herself for a second as to whether or not she actually wants to say what she wants to say but Veronica was never one known for beating around the bush so she dives right in. "Well whatever you did to Logan in Virginia messed him up pretty bad. He's been moping around the penthouse for almost a week and he and Dick where coming to blows. I happened to be around when the shit almost hit the fan so I extracted Dick from the situation, we ended up at a party and you know…." She is proud of her hungover brain for coming up with a lie that fast, no need to tell Veronica the real reason she was at a party getting drunk with Dick last night.

"So Logan's pretty messed up huh?" Veronica's voice is filled with concern and Mac wonders when the two will finally stop torturing each other and everyone else and just run away and get married. Or something, Mac wasn't a big believer in getting married young, if she was a believer in getting married at all. She just knew that they needed to be together, no matter how hard Veronica fought against it.

"Yeah he is. So what happened?"

Veronica inhales sharply before she answers as if weighing her response. "I don't want to talk about it."

Mac isn't offended, she isn't sure she wants to hear about it. "We can girly chat about it when you get back."

"Sounds good. So, what happened at the party last night, anything interesting?" Veronica questions, the false cheer evident in her voice.

Mac shakes her head at the empty room. Interesting isn't the word that she would choose when describing last night. Maybe excruciating, agonizing, calamitous or heartbreaking. Yeah those would all be a better word choice. How do you explain to your best friend that you made a complete fool of yourself by getting drunk, offending a good friend and someone that you barely know, and making out with a guy that you never met before to hurt someone who you shouldn't care about in the first place, all because you think you might be falling for a guy that she can't stand? The answer is simple, you don't. "I don't want to talk about it."

Veronica doesn't argue, Mac can hear her chuckle into the phone. "This is why we suck at being girls. Aren't we supposed to like talk about every detail of every decision we make and ask for each other's advice on everything? Then do each other's hair and share a passionate experimental kiss that we vow to never talk about again yet we elude to in front of every guy we know just to screw with their heads."

"Don't forget the pillow fights in our underwear and eating bowls of cookie dough." Mac adds, once again pleased to have found a friend who was so much like her in this respect, sharing her cynical view of anything remotely girly.

"Ssshhh, if you listen close enough you can hear Dick's head exploding somewhere out there."

At the mention of Dick's name all of Mac's good humor goes away. The slippery slope that she felt herself sliding down at the bonfire has quickly become a landslide and now she's at the bottom, looking up at the tons of dirt and debris that are cascading down at her, ready to bury her alive.

"Yeah." She doesn't know what else to say.

"Yeah." The silence that follows this statement isn't awkward, just empty. Both girls having a lot of things on their mind that neither one is willing to share with the other, at least not yet. Taking the silence as a sign, they agree to talk again later when they have something important to share, or anything at all for that matter.

Hanging up her phone, Mac slowly makes her way into the living room, dreading whatever type of confrontation she is sure she is going to have with Dick. But the surfer is glaringly absent from the living room when she gets there, neither is he on the balcony or in the kitchen. Mac is so focused on looking for Dick that she fails to notice Logan standing in the doorway to his room.

Logan watches her obvious search for Dick with an amused look on his face, wondering just how long it will be before she notices him. She is about to head back into the kitchen when Logan finally speaks up, making his presence known. "Looking for something?" Logan grins wickedly as Mac jumps and screams like a little girl.

"Oh my god! Do you and Dick like have contests to see who can sneak up on people the best?" Mac spits out, clutching one hand to her racing heart, the other to her pounding head. Screaming and jumping around were obviously not good choices either when one had a raging hangover.

"Yes and I usually win." He laughs as he saunters over to the couch giving a large smile to Mac who is still glaring at him.

"I can tell." Mac mumbles, laying down on the couch and cradling her head in the crook of her arm. She is desperate to find out where Dick is but she does not want to ask Logan, does not want him to read anything into her question. But then again, would he read something into her not asking him where Dick was? It would be a completely natural question to ask seeing as how she slept in his bed last night.

Logan isn't smiling anymore. "He isn't here, I don't know where he is. He left after he put you to bed and never came back."

Mac looks to him startled. Had she asked him a question? Or was she just that transparent? She had hoped that she was hiding her feelings well enough, apparently she was mistaken. Good thing Veronica was still in Virginia, she would have it figured out before her bags were unpacked.

When Mac doesn't respond Logan presses a little further. "I don't know what happened last night and I have a feeling I probably don't want to know. But there is something that I think you should know."

Mac looks in his direction but doesn't say a word, she has the distinct feeling that whatever Logan says next is going to break her heart a little bit.

"Mac, he would seriously kill me if he knew I was telling you this but I don't really give a damn. He's like a brother to me and I want him to be happy-" She cuts him off abruptly, fearing the rest of his sentence.

"Don't say it Logan. Please." She pleads with him, her eyes closed so she can't see the confused look on his face.

He opens his mouth to speak then promptly shuts it again. He really does want to tell her but he doesn't want to make her mad, Mac being one of the few people he actually considers a true friend. He had tried to talk to Dick last night after he put Mac to sleep in his room. It was obvious that he was very hurt about something, but Dick didn't want to have anything to do with him, mumbling something about Mexico as he walked out the door. Not that Logan could really blame him, he himself never wanting to talk when he was nursing a broken heart. Because he was sure that was what the problem was, Dick had a broken heart, Logan was a little surprised to realize, and Mac was the one who broke it. How, he had no idea, not on purpose he is sure and unknowingly as well. He didn't think either one of them was even aware of their own feelings, never mind the feelings of the other.

When Logan doesn't say anything for a few minutes, Mac is relieved thinking that he has dropped the subject. She was wrong. "Why?" He asks suddenly breaking the silence.

"Why?" She opens her eyes to stare at him.

"Why don't you want to hear what I want to say?" Logan's tone is slightly accusatory and Mac is taken aback, he has never been stern with her before, not seriously. She can once again see the loyalty that Logan has to Dick and vice versa, she is happy that they are able to have that with each other.

She isn't sure how to respond. She doesn't want to hear what he has to say because she is sure that whatever it is, it won't solve anything, it will probably just make the entire mess all the more complicated. Is she ready to hear one way or the other what Dick feels about her? If it's nothing then she just goes back to being the nerdy computer geek who is falling for a rich surfer guy who is out of her league. If it's something then she is the girl who purposely made out with someone to get revenge on someone else who cared about her. She didn't want to be either one of those girls. She knew she didn't have a choice.

"Because it won't fix anything." She finally says closing her eyes again. Can't she just shut out everything? Go back to sleep and wake up yesterday, do it all over again.

This time Logan doesn't hesitate. "He cares about you."

"Logan, please."

"A lot. He won't admit it to himself, but I know he does. He looks at you like you're the most amazing thing he's ever seen. He talks about you all the time. He faced the wrath of an entire fraternity by kicking out one of his own from a party, for you. You got him to spend the entire night at a party and not drink, you've known Dick long enough that that alone should tell you that you have his nuts in your hand. I don't know how you don't see that."

Mac keeps her eyes closed, tries to close them tighter as if by closing her eyes she can shut out the words that Logan is saying, she doesn't want to hear this. So that's what type of girl she has become, the bitchy one, hurting people for fun, people who care about her. She doesn't know why it hurts her so much to finally have someone say out loud that Dick cares about her but it does. The breath escaping her lungs all at once, the giant knot in her throat, the burn of the tears pooling in her eyes, she tries to hide them all.

Logan pretends not to notice when her shoulders start to shake. When the tears start to fall he makes a silent exit to his room, not sure exactly why she is crying, curious as to what went on last night that seems to have affected both of his friends so deeply.

"I'm sorry." He hears a few minutes later. It's coming from the living room but it's said so softly that he isn't sure he actually heard anything at all. He peeks out his door to see Mac sitting up on the couch looking at him. She has stopped crying but her eyes are still red and puffy.

"For what?" He opens the door wider but doesn't step out of the room.

"For crying on your couch, for being such a girl."

Logan tries and fails to hold back his laughter. "What is with you and Veronica being so adamant about not wanting to be girls? There is nothing wrong with girls, guys like girls."

"Well we don't mind being girls, we just don't want to be girly. There's a big difference there." Mac is surprised to hear herself laugh. She is grateful that she has a friend like Logan, someone whom she never thought she would be friends with when they were in school together. It's true what people say about who you are in high school having no bearing on who you are in the real world.

"Why is that a bad thing, Dick caring about you?" Logan tentatively asks finally emerging from his room to sit on the couch opposite her, he doesn't want to upset her again but the hopeless romantic side of him really wants them to be able to fix this and to fix it they are going to need to know what is going on.

Mac buries her head in a pillow not because she is upset but out of frustration. "It's just-it's Dick-I mean, seriously. Dick. Casablancas. Dick."

"Um, yeah, we've established that it's Dick."

"I kissed someone else last night." Mac stops briefly when she sees Logan's mouth drop open. "In front of Dick, like on purpose. Who does that? I mean does that make me a slut or something? Oh my god I'm turning into Madison Sinclair." She says her words half mumbled by the pillow she is still hiding behind.

Logan takes a second to process this information, Dick's attitude the night before making a lot more sense now. "Why?"

"I'm pretty sure that the five shots of tequila had something to do with it." She answers, finally removing the pillow from in front of her face, specifically avoiding the real question that she knows Logan is asking.

"Mac, I'm only gonna ask you this once and if you don't want to answer I'll never ask you again. Do you care about Dick?"

Mac doesn't speak but all Logan has to do it look at her face to get his answer. "Mac that's awesome!"

"It's not Logan, it's really really not. He has turned me into the type of girl gets drunk and makes out with random guys. Plus he's Cassidy's brother."

Logan's heart drops a little for his friend at hearing those words. "Is that what this is all about? Because his brother was a psychotic killer."

Mac can hear the angry edge in Logan's voice out of defense of his friend. That wasn't what she had meant at all, she knew Dick was nothing like his brother, she wasn't worried about that. "No, it's just weird, isn't it? To like your dead ex-boyfriend's brother?"

Logan relaxed when he realized she wasn't grouping Dick and Cassidy in the same category. "I don't know is it weird to like your dead ex-girlfriend's best friend?"

Mac chuckled, he had her there. But it was so much more than that, Dick was Dick and Mac was Mac and she didn't see how they could ever be together. Is that what she wanted? To be with Dick? Did he? She was suddenly curious to know if he ever talked to Logan about that, did he want to be with her, or was it just a crush? Logan had said that he won't admit it to himself, so the answer was probably not. "He kissed me at the bonfire then he went off to screw around with Lorena." Mac is shocked how her mouth just keeps opening and she keeps spewing out information to Logan that he never asked for, he must have some freaky voodoo powers.

"Yeah that would be Dick." Logan shakes his head. This is going to be harder than he thought.

"Logan?"

"Huh?"

Mac puts the pillow down on the couch and starts running her hands over the suede cushion, calming herself before she is able to finish this conversation with Logan. "You said that Dick wasn't even able to admit it to himself how he feels. If that is true then how are you so sure?" She avoids looking Logan in the eye as she asks this.

"Mac, Dick and I have been friends since we were kids, you know when he told me he liked Madison?"

Mac cringes as she hears that name, she has still yet to get used to the fact that it was supposed to be her name, she didn't think she ever would. "No."

"He didn't. One day they were dating, then they were broken up. His attitude on both of those days was the same. Same thing with Gia and Bonnie. Ask me how many times they would leave and he would have a giant cheesy grin on his face for the rest of the night talking about how he was so amazed by this thing they did or that thing. Go ahead ask me." Logan stares her down from the other couch, willing her to look at him so she can see the sincerity in his eyes.

Mac is running her hands over the cushion so fast now that she can feel the friction turning to heat, she doesn't want to ask, she doesn't want to know, why did she start this conversation in the first place? "How many times?"

"None, never. Not once. All I've heard this whole summer is 'I can't believe Mac is so good at this game,' 'Mac cried during Scarface' 'Mac said this' 'Mac did that' 'Mac looked so hot in her bridesmaid dress'." Logan could do a pretty damn good imitation of Dick, the reminder of the goofy blond only served to upset Mac more.

"Logan, I'm begging you , please stop." Mac jumps off of the couch and looks beseechingly to Logan, she is afraid that she is going to cry again if he keeps talking. If Dick really does care about her like Logan thinks he does then she succeeded in her attempt to make him feel like crap by kissing Cory last night, that wasn't her intention. At least she wanted to think that it wasn't, she wanted to think that she had no inkling of his feelings for her and her kissing Cory in front of him was her way of telling him that she didn't care that he had kissed Lorena. Since she hadn't know how he felt than what she did wasn't that bad, right? Wrong, she knew, she's known since the bonfire. But she is right about one thing, last night wasn't to hurt Dick to make him feel her pain. She didn't kiss Cory to get back at Dick, she kissed Cory to convince herself that she didn't care about Dick. She was lying to herself. Again. God she is getting pathetic.

"I just thought you should know. And Mac?" She stops her frantic pacing and turns toward him wondering what he is going to ask her now. She raises her eyebrows waiting for him to go on. "High school is over, it's not about being an 09er and an 02er anymore."

Mac laughs in spite of herself, "Logan, this is Neptune, it's always about being an 09er and an 02er." She makes her way to the door, wondering exactly what she is going to do with all this new information. One thing she has to do for sure and she is dreading it. She turns back to Logan before she reaches the door. "Don't tell Veronica please?"

Logan visibly shudders at the thought. "God no, she would literally cut my balls off and hang them on her rearview mirror. Next to Dick's."

Mac is almost certain he is right about that. She says goodbye and closes the door behind her. First she is going to need some caffeine, then she can tackle the next thing on her to do list. Maybe she should bring a helmet.

_**Meanwhile, down in Mexico…**_

Dick lays flat on his back, his legs spread eagle, his head resting on his palms. He is staring at the stained and warped ceiling of the tiny hotel room he has been occupying for the last several hours. The bedspread smelled like vomit and the toilet didn't flush but it was close to the water and more importantly it was miles away from Neptune.

He opens the door and walks down to the beach, silently berating himself for driving down here on his Ducati instead of his truck so he could bring his surfboard. Of course the waves are gorgeous, perfect for surfing, and he needs nothing more right now than to feel the waves carrying him to shore, the salt water drenching his skin. Evidently he's going to have to settle for sitting in the sand and drinking a warm beer the name of which he can't pronounce. Gotta love Mexican beer.

As he takes his last drink, his mind goes back to the conversation he had had with Beaver about fate, he had finally realized what had been bothering him about the way he had remembered it.

"_So you upset about Madison?" Cassidy has stopped playing the game but is still holding the controller in his hand, he is looking at Dick cautiously as if he is going to yell at him at any second. _

"_Irritated, yes. She is freaking hot and a good lay. Upset, no. She is a bitch and as annoying as hell." Dick drops his own controller and leans back on the couch, shrugging his shoulders in an 'I don't care' gesture. _

"_Yeah, that she is."_

" _And it's not like I'm going to find the person I'm supposed to be with in high school." Dick adds almost without realizing that he was going to speak. _

_Dick's inner censor has been dulled by the bottle of vodka he has just finished off. Cassidy looks at him curiously, confused by his meaning. "'Supposed to be with'?" He questions._

"_Yeah like my soul mate or whatever. You know, whoever fate has destined for me to be with." _

_Cassidy still has that wounded puppy dog look on his face like he is expecting Dick to berate him or start beating him up, or something."Fate? You believe in all that shit?" Cassidy was genuinely surprised, he had no idea that Dick believed in something like that._

"_Yeah don't you?"_

_Cassidy shrugs his shoulders, placing his controller on the coffee table in front of him. "I don't know, I guess. I mean, it would be nice if it was that easy wouldn't it? Like it's all out of our hands." _

"_You don't think Mac's your fate or something?" _

_Cassidy looks to Dick his face incredibly sad. "Nah, it would be nice if she was though, that would be so much easier." He leans his head in his hands and pulls his fingers through his hair, making it stand on end, a Casablancas nervous habit. _

The Beav wasn't the one who believed in fate, he was. He felt like a jackass.

_**Back in Neptune…..**_

Mac walks briskly up to the unfamiliar door and knocks before she has a chance to change her mind. She almost wishes that her knock will remain unanswered but she can already hear movement on the other side of the door. The curtain on the window next to her moves and she sees Parker's eyes peering out at her.

"What do you want?" Parker's voice is less angry and more irritated as she opens the door.

"I came to apologize. To you and to Lorena." Mac answers sheepishly but she makes herself look in her friend's eyes.

Parker visibly relaxes a little but she doesn't open the door any wider and she doesn't invite Mac in, her hand on the door frame blocking the entrance and Mac can see Lorena silently walk up behind Parker, her eyes trained on the floor in front of her. "Okay, so apologize."

"I'm sorry I acted like a bitch last night, I'm sorry I rubbed things in your face that you had both already apologized for, I'm sorry that I wasn't a good friend, I'm just sorry." Mac is unused to having to apologize, she rarely did things that she needed to apologize for. "I really like you Lorena you're a sweet girl and I think we could be friends, maybe if we started over." Lorena smiles at her brightly, she looks more than ready to forgive, Parker not so much. After a moment Parker finally moves back from the door and motions Mac inside.

"I don't know who that was last night, but that wasn't the Mac that I roomed with last year. The Mac I know would never get drunk and call out a friend like that." Parker declares shutting the door behind them.

"She also doesn't get drunk and make out with guys she has just met." Mac tries to sound lighthearted but it comes out more pitiful.

At the news of juicy gossip Parker seems to have forgotten her anger towards Mac. "Wait, what? Oh my god. That guy, the one with the dark hair? He was hot! What happened?" Parker leads her to the couch and pushes her into it, sitting herself in front of Mac on the coffee table.

"I don't know, it just happened. It seemed like a good idea at the time, I just wanted him to understand-" Mac stops herself, does she really want to get into this with Parker, and Lorena. They both watch her silently waiting for her to continue her story. She doesn't go on.

"Dick." Parker states, it wasn't a question.

Mac rolls her eyes at herself, if Veronica could see her now, being all girly and having a gossip session with Parker, she doesn't even want to know how she would react. "Yeah Dick."

"What's the story with you two anyway?" Lorena surprises them both by asking. "I mean did you use to date or something?"

Mac laughs humorlessly. She knew this conversation was bound to happen eventually, she has taken for granted the fact that most of her friends where around when she was with Cassidy and know exactly everything that went on. It's been a long time since she had to actually say these words out loud, she hopes that she can do it. "Actually I dated his younger brother." There now that wasn't so hard was it?

Parker actually gasps at this piece of information. "Dick has a younger brother? Who is it? What's his name? Why didn't I know about this before?"

"Had. His name was Cassidy. He's dead now." Now that she has opened Pandora's box how much longer can she avoid telling Parker the whole story, how he died and what he did. Mac quickly starts talking again, she doesn't want to give Parker or Lorena a chance to ask questions, maybe she can avoid it for a little while longer. "So we've known each other for a while. I just have never thought of him in that way before. He was really mean to me when Cassidy and I were together and when Cassidy died it's like he blamed me or something. Like I should have seen the real him and stopped it." Mac realizes too late that she has given away more than she wanted to.

"I'm confused. What should you have seen and why would he blame you. How did he die?"

Here it is the moment of truth. "He killed himself. He jumped off the roof of the Grand. And if I was a better girlfriend I would have been able to stop him, I was the one closest to him, I should have been able to fix him. But I couldn't." Mac doesn't realize that this is what she really thinks until she says it out loud. In a way it was a relief finally admitting to herself her part in the tragedy. She should have noticed that something was wrong, if she had been good enough she could have healed his hurt. She wasn't and she didn't.

"Oh my god, that is so horrible. Poor Dick, poor Mac." Parker crosses over to the couch and wraps Mac up in a bear hug.

Mac is afraid of how Parker will react to the rest of the story, but she knows that she needs to tell her. With every word she says Mac can feel herself getting lighter, letting go of the anger and hatred she has been carrying around for the past year. She suddenly realizes that this is the first time she has really talked about it. Why has it taken this long and this situation for her to finally say these words? She doesn't know and she wishes that she had done this sooner. And then it hits her. This whole time she has known what Cassidy did but she could never reconcile the Cassidy she knew with the Cassidy who was a psychotic killer. Somewhere deep down she had always kind of let herself believe that it was all a mistake. Cassidy wasn't really a killer, Veronica had it wrong, she misunderstood. And deep down in that same place she let herself still care about him, worry about what her actions now would do to him. That is the real reason she never allowed herself to admit she cared about Dick, it would have hurt Cassidy so much. As she tells Parker and Lorena the entire story that little part of her disappears, sinking deeper and deeper until it is finally gone and she can't believe that she ever let herself think that way.

Mac finds herself not only telling Cassidy's story but confessing every thought she has had about Dick. What went through her head that night at the bonfire and last night. She can't help herself. Despite her adamant protests against such things, she is finding that she likes her girly chat with Parker and she does in fact need some advice. She is incredibly sad to know that in this situation she can't turn to Veronica. She doesn't think that she would actually lose Veronica's friendship if she admitted her feelings for Dick but she is pretty sure that it would change it. She doesn't want that.

Parker takes a deep breath and looks to Lorena, the type of look common among people who have known each other for years, the one that says so much without saying a word. When she looks back to Mac she has a huge smile on her face. "First things first, you have to apologize to Dick."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_**Down in Mexico…..**_

Dick takes another long swallow of the bright green liquid and nearly chokes himself. The guy who sold it to him said that it was strong, but damn! His brain goes fuzzy for a second, worse than any drunken night he has ever had. He shakes his head to clear it out but only succeeds in making himself dizzy. When he closes his eyes and leans back on the itchy comforter he swears that he can feel the bed shift slightly, as if someone had sat down on the other side.

"Damn big bro you are seriously fucked up!" His heart starts to race when he hears that voice. That voice he hasn't heard in over a year. What is that voice doing in a crappy hotel room in Mexico? He doesn't even have to force himself to keep his eyes closed, they have no intention of opening up to see where the voice is coming from. He rolls over on his side and wraps his mouth around the bottle, another finger worth disappears down his throat. Maybe it will make the voice go away. It doesn't. He blindly sets the bottle back on the nightstand.

"So something fucked up happens and you high tail it to Mexico and drink away your problems. Things haven't changed much since I've been gone have they?" The bed shifts again slightly, as if someone had gotten up off of it.

"Fuck you." Dick tells the voice, his eyes still tightly closed.

He can hear footsteps across the floor, his eyes follow the movement behind his eyelids, they stop directly across from him. When he hears the voice again it's coming from the bathroom. "Dude you're a millionaire, why are you staying in a sleazy hotel?" He hears the water turn on first one faucet and then the other. His hand reaches out for the bottle but he only grasps empty air. He tries again slowly not wanting to knock it off the table, he can do this without opening his eyes if he concentrates hard enough.

"I wanted to be inconspicuous." He declares, finally grasping the neck of the bottle. He sighs with relief.

The voice doesn't say anything as he takes a large gulp. He misses the table when he tries to put it back. He can hear the voice laughing again. "That's an awfully big word for you. Are you sure you're using it right?"

Dick can hear more footsteps, he tries to track them again but his brain is too focused on other things. For instance, figuring out how to get up and make it to the bathroom without stepping on any pieces of the broken bottle. He thinks he might throw up. "Fuck you." He repeats for lack of a better come back.

More laughter. Didn't it used to be the other way around? Him always laughing at that voice. When did that change and why? He gives up on trying to make it to the bathroom, deciding that a little more vomit wouldn't change the overall comfort of the bed any.

"What are we doing here?" The voice sounds annoyed now. What happened to the laughter Dick wonders.

"I'm drinking away my problems as you've already pointed out and I don't know what the fuck you're doing here." Is he shouting? He can't tell. He wants to be, his brain is telling his mouth to, but he is pretty sure that it is coming out barely above a whisper. He squints his eyes open just enough to see a figure pass in front of his face, from where he is laying on the bed he can only really see the body. His eyes open just a tiny bit more, he thinks he sees blood on the clothes on the figure and he quickly shuts them again. This isn't happening.

The voice is so close to him now, he knows that if he opens his eyes he's going to be staring into a familiar face. He's not ready. He keeps his eyes closed, wishes he hadn't dropped the bottle. "I know what you're doing here. What am I doing here?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to know!" This time he is shouting. He can hear his own voice echoing in his ears and he is glad. The voice pushes his feet off the bed so they're hanging in the air above the broken bottle. The bed moves and he feels someone sit down next to him, this time on the same side.

"I'm not here because I wanna be here, you brought me here." The voice explains slowly, patronizingly. "So I'll ask you again, what am I doing here?"

Dick has an idea why but he doesn't want to share it. Is that an option? Can he not tell him anything, if he doesn't talk to him will he go away? He doesn't think so but he decides to test it and see. He keeps his mouth firmly closed, the only thing to be heard in the room is the sound of his own breathing. Well, his and someone else's. Their breathing is so close that it's hard to hear the distinction. But Dick can, his is milliseconds faster. Just enough to hear the minute pause between them.

He is about to give up on his test when suddenly he realizes that he only hears one set of breathing, his own. He tentatively opens one eye, searching the room. It's empty, thank God. He opens the other eye and sits up, placing his feet on the floor before he remembers about the broken bottle. He jerks his feet up expecting to feel shards of glass piercing his skin. He doesn't. He looks back over to the nightstand and sees the half empty bottle still sitting there, in one piece. It feels like it's taunting him. He grabs it roughly by the neck and takes another swallow, this one not as big as the last. As soon as the liquid clears his throat he is sure he is about to throw up again. He races to the bathroom and aims for the toilet. Nothing comes out. He keeps his place for a few minutes to be sure that he isn't going to get sick. When he finally decides it's safe he turns back toward the room, coming face to face with Cassidy.

"You thought I left didn't you?" The smile on Cassidy's face isn't the crazed smile of a psychotic killer, it's the goofy smile of a little kid playing their favorite game. It's the smile of his little brother. He wants to punch him and hug him at the same time. "You thought if you ignored me then I'd go away right?" His voice is excited, his eyes are sparkling, he is having so much fun with this he can't contain his excitement.

"Something like that." Dick mumbles walking around him to get back to the bed. He is careful not to brush up against him. If he touches him will he vaporize? Or will he just walk right through him, his body wavering and fading out then steadying and coming clear again. Will he touch something hard and solid, warm. Or will it be ice cold? He doesn't want to find out, doesn't want to know. He makes sure that he doesn't touch him.

Cassidy follows him to the bed and reclaims his spot next to him, laying back on his hands, his eyes examining the ceiling. "That's not the way this works you know. I can't leave until you are ready for me to." Why does he keep talking like that, like there are some sort of guidelines, a set of rules that Dick isn't aware of.

"I never wanted you here in the first place." Dick lays back too, mirroring Cassidy's relaxed position.

"Sure you did. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here." He states matter-of-factly, turning to give Dick a huge 'I know something you don't know' grin.

Dick looks at him out of the corner of his eye but doesn't say anything. He can feel Cassidy getting agitated. "I just told you that's not going to work, you can't ignore me to make me go away. It didn't work when we were kids and it sure as fuck isn't going to work now." He doesn't seem as excited anymore.

"I wasn't. I'm trying to figure out why you're here." Dick closes his eyes again, he sees Mac's face, sees Mac and him kissing at the bonfire, sees Mac kissing Cory at the bar. He pops his eyes open but doesn't look at Cassidy. Is that why he's here, because of Mac? Is he mad that he kissed Mac? Is this some sort of revenge from beyond the grave? If I can't have her nobody can.

"You know I know what you're thinking right?" Cassidy snickers and elbows Dick in the side. Was that something that was in the guidelines that Dick didn't know about? Was it every thought or just the pertinent ones? "Yes, no, and every one." Cassidy declares laughing again. Did he ever laugh this much when he was alive? No, he knows that the answer is no. Well, maybe he did when he was around Mac.

"What?" Dick is confused, he hadn't asked a question.

"Yes I'm here because of Mac. No there are no guidelines. And I know every thought you are thinking not just the pertinent ones. I'm impressed by your increase in vocabulary by the way."

Dick's head hurts and it's not because of the liquor. He rubs his hands over his face and tries to make sense of the conversation he is having. "Why am I wasting my breath talking if you can hear my thoughts?"

"I can't hear your thoughts and you're not talking."

Dick just looks at him dumbfounded, he has no idea what to say to that.

"Nevermind." Cassidy is growing impatient, he has lost the excitement in his eyes and his voice. He abruptly sits up and pushes off of the bed, sending Dick rocking. "Let's get back to why I'm here."

"Mac." Dick reiterates afraid to make Cassidy angry by getting the answer wrong. Another things that used to be the other way around, Dick was never afraid of Cassidy.

When Cassidy turns to face him he looks incredibly angry at first. Dick can see him take a deep breath and count silently to himself before he speaks again. "Yes, I'm here because of Mac. You guys have some sort of thing going on. Kinda fucked up don't you think? Taking your dead little brother's sloppy seconds."

Dick has momentarily forgotten his decree to not touch Cassidy, he jumps off the bed and grabs him by the shirt, his fist raised in the air ready to strike. Why does this feel very familiar? Dick holding Cassidy by the shirt, Dick's fist raised ready to beat him, Cassidy stopping him with a word. Dick doesn't let himself be stopped this time, he lets his fist go and feels the solid connection with Cassidy's nose. He hears a sickening crack and feels the sting in his knuckles. When he releases him the blood is already starting to drip down Cassidy's face. Instead of backing down like Dick thought he would, he wipes the blood off with his fingers then looks at it with mild amusement.

"Temper, temper." Cassidy shakes his finger at Dick. It's still smeared with his blood. Dick closes his mouth against the bile rising in the back of his throat.

"Shut the fuck up it's not like that!" Dick yells.

Cassidy wipes the blood on his shirt but his nose is still bleeding. The dark red running down his chin and collecting on his shirt. Dick has never seen that much blood come out of a nose before, it shows no sign of stopping. Dick feels lightheaded. He eases his body back onto the bed, he keeps his eyes on the floor. He can't handle seeing Cassidy bleed anymore.

"Why do you care what I say about Mac then?"

"I don't. She's your girlfriend not mine, say what you want about her." Dick glances up to Cassidy, his nose is still bleeding, his shirt is soaked now, you can't even tell what color it used to be. Dick promptly leans over and throws up on the floor. It's bright green.

Cassidy narrows his eyes at Dick and makes a scoffing sound. "So you wanna know how it was that last night? She was a virgin, I got to be her first. She was so tight, so wet. And loud screaming my name." Cassidy is provoking him. He is determined not to take the bait. He grabs for the bottle again, surprised at how light it has become. He doesn't remember drinking that much of it.

"Dude, say what you want." He tries to sound nonchalant but it comes out sounding more pathetic.

"I mean granted her tits could be bigger but damn her mouth can do some magical things. I don't think I had any fluids left in my body." Cassidy speaks slowly his tone is vivid, making sure that Dick gets the full mental image from every word he says.

Dick's jaw clenches and his stomach tightens. He is determined not to reply. He swallows the last drop of the alcohol trying to drink Cassidy back into oblivion. He closes his eyes once more, hoping that he will disappear. It doesn't work. Cassidy stares at him with a cocky grin on his face as he throws the bottle against the wall with every ounce of strength that he has. It shatters so forcefully that it takes a chunk of plaster with it. Pieces fly back and puncture Dick's arms. He watches fascinated as little specks of blood appear.

"Why can't you just admit it?" Cassidy is no longer taunting him. Dick looks up and is relieved to see that his nose has stopped bleeding, the blood has vanished from his shirt. He looks like Cassidy again.

"What do you want me to admit? That I care about the only girl that you loved. That I got upset at the bar because when I saw her kissing Cory I really saw her kissing you! That every time I think about her I remember how I fucked you over, every douchebag thing I said to you when she was around. Is that what I'm supposed to admit?"

"It's a start." Cassidy says simply.

"FUCK!" No other word seems to really fit the emotions that he is feeling.

Cassidy slowly walks over to where Dick is sitting on the bed, he gently places his hand on Dick's shoulder. He tenses up but doesn't move away.

"Dude, I'm fucking dead."

Dick looks up at him expecting to see sadness on his face or at least sorrow, seriousness, anything but the smile that he actually sees. "Yeah and it fucking sucks." Dick shakes his head, he doesn't know what else to say.

"So who the fuck cares what I think anymore?

Dick ponders this for a moment. Who did care? Nobody but him, and maybe Mac, probably not even her. He opens his mouth to speak but stops himself, he wants to get this right. He wants to make sure that Cassidy understands him the first time, he doesn't want to have to repeat himself. "I was such a jackass to you when you were alive. Don't I need to show you some extra respect now that you're-gone?" He can't bring himself to say the word "dead" even though Cassidy used it himself just seconds earlier, it didn't feel right, calling someone dead when they were standing in front of you.

"Why the fuck should I care? It's not like it's going to make a difference now. And let me tell you, if roles were reversed I wouldn't think twice."

Dick surprises himself by laughing. "Of course you wouldn't." But then a thought hits him, "It's not like I've loved any of the girls I've dated. You loved Mac, I know you did."

Cassidy shrugs his shoulders and waves it off. "Psshh. I was 17 what the hell did I know. But yeah I thought I did. So what? Mac is amazing, like the coolest chick ever. You gonna let your dead little brother screw that up for you?"

"Mac doesn't care about me." Dick says sadly, really wishing that there was some more green alcohol to drink. He hates this part.

"Oh my god!" Cassidy rolls his eyes at Dick. "You're so fucking dumb. I explained things to you my entire life I'm not doing it anymore. Give me a fucking break already!" He shouts but he doesn't look angry, doesn't even look annoyed, he looks amused. Dick gets mad when Cassidy starts laughing at him again. "Good thing I don't have anywhere else to be. This is going to take a while isn't it?"

Dick shrugs his shoulders, he isn't even sure what is going on anymore.

"Did she or did she not get upset when you kissed that chick at the bonfire?"

"Yeah so what's your point?"

"Dude, if she didn't care why would she get upset? You can't hurt someone who you mean nothing to." Dick's heart aches, he doesn't like being reminded of how he hurt Mac. "And by the way, don't do that again, it's just wrong."

Dick thinks that Cassidy is talking about him kissing Mac being wrong, but he isn't sure. He is getting lost in this conversation the longer they keep talking. "Kissing Mac?"

"Okay Dick, I'm going to make this real easy for you, let's refresh your memory. Mac is awesome, I know you care about her, I don't care cause I'm fucking dead, girls don't get upset about you kissing other girls unless they care about you. Get it now?"

He did. Finally. "I fucked it up already. I can't fix it now." He wonders if he walked back to that bar would that same guy be there and could he get more of the green stuff. He knows that it probably wouldn't be a wise decision, who the fuck cares? He's already having a conversation with his dead baby brother, how much worse could it get?

"Nah man, Mac is a forgiver. She doesn't hold a grudge like that bitch Madison. Make it up to her, she wants you to. Remember what I told you about fate." Dick is even more confused now, going back over their conversation in his head, he doesn't remember anything about fate. _"You don't think Mac's your fate or something?" Cassidy looks to Dick his face incredibly sad. "Nah, it would be nice if she was though, that would be so much easier." _He remembers now.

"But you don't believe in fate."

"That doesn't mean it's not true. Besides I never said I didn't believe in it, I said that Mac wasn't my fate." Cassidy locks his eyes on Dick's, waiting for him to get his meaning.

It takes him a while but Dick does eventually get what Cassidy is trying to tell him. "You think she's mine?" Dick is incredulous, he jumps off the bed like something bit his ass.

Cassidy smiles and shrugs his shoulders. Dick never noticed before how often he does that, he wondered if he did it to. Did he have any of the same characteristics as Cassidy? Did he want to? "You said it, not me."

Dick has nothing to say to this. He runs his fingers through his hair then rests his elbows on his knees, holding his head in his hands. How could Mac be his fate? That didn't even make sense. Up until a few months ago he hated her. Her smart mouth and her big words, her and Cassidy always conspiring to make him feel like an idiot. He hated her even more after he died. Blamed her like she pushed him off of the roof herself. Why? What had made him hate her so much? He remembers talking to Logan about that night, telling him how he and Ronnie had found Mac in the hotel room, no clothes, nothing. He wanted to break something when Logan had told him that. Why?

"Why did you take her clothes that night?" Dick asks suddenly, Cassidy doesn't seem surprised, like he's been waiting this whole time for Dick to ask this specific question.

"You know why, think about it." Cassidy is being mysterious and Dick doesn't like it. He wants a straight answer, why is that so much to ask.

"Fuck you! If I knew why would I be asking?"

"Because you don't want to admit it to yourself. You're jealous."

Dick searches frantically around the room for something to throw, this conversation is becoming too much for him he wants to break something. Feel something. He wants to snap out of this, this, hallucination or whatever the fuck it is. "How does that even make sense?"

"Think about it. If I took Mac's clothes and everything, could she leave the hotel room?" Dick doesn't respond but Cassidy knows that he is following his meaning. "Could she have seen me go crazy on the roof? Seen me splattered on the car?" Dick picks up the piece of plaster that fell earlier, thinks about throwing it at Cassidy, changes his mind and throws it at the other wall instead.

"Shut up." He whispers, he doesn't want to yell anymore.

"I was protecting her. And you hated her for that. I protected her and didn't give a flying fuck about you. Maybe I wanted you to see me, see what you did, what you could have prevented. You know, I never even wanted to play Little League."

Dick feels the hot tears running down his cheeks. He doesn't bother wiping them off. "We were brothers." Dick interrupts, not knowing where was going with that statement, he says it more for himself than for Cassidy.

"Yeah, we were. How long are you going to hate Mac for something that wasn't her fault?"

"I don't hate her. I never did, not really."

Cassidy looks at him, he has stopped laughing. He looks like he wants to cry along with Dick. "No you never did, did you?"

Dick buries his face in his hands, closing his eyes and regretting his decision to come here. "I'm sorry." He waits for a response from Cassidy. He never gets one. When he opens his eyes the room is empty. The wall is back to normal and the bottle is sitting on the nightstand where he left it. He takes one last drink then chucks it at the wall, it shatters. For real this time.

**Back in Neptune….**

Mac is both relieved and anxious to see Logan's name appear on her caller ID. Excusing herself to her coworkers she quickly walks outside to stand on the side of the building.

"Have you heard anything?" She asks as soon as she answers the phone, not bothering with a greeting.

"He's in Mexico, but he's on his way home. He said something about bottles that keep rebreaking and somebody's bloody nose and he hung up. I'm not sure what he is on but I don't think he's drunk." Logan only sounds slightly concerned at this revelation.

Mac, unused to the guys' wild escapades, is a little more worried. "Do you think he'll be alright? Should you go get him?"

Logan laughs, pleased to hear the concern in Mac's voice. "Nah, he'll be fine probably be home in a couple hours."

"And you're still going to get him to come to the bar right?" Mac asks nervously, Parker and Lorena had come up with a Veronica-esque plan and she was doubting whether it would work or not.

"Don't worry we'll be there. It'll be okay Mac, I promise."

"How can you be so sure?" Mac was curious as to Logan's sudden optimism, not that she wants him to be brooding again, but man can he change his attitude quickly.

"Epic." Is all he says, leaving Mac at a loss for words. "See ya tonight Ghost World." He jokes hanging up the phone. This better work, Mac thinks, or she might have to break down and talk to Veronica. That wouldn't be good for anybody.

"Epic." She repeats, recalling Veronica's tale of Logan describing their relationship. Did she want to be epic? Did she have a choice? She thought probably not.

**A/N: I had originally meant for this scene to be a lot shorter and to get some MaDi in this chapter. As you can see it kind of got away from me, I really enjoy writing Cassidy for some reason (another fan fic possibly? Lol). I promise the next chapter will just be fluffy MaDi interactions! Please keep reviewing, it makes all the insanity worth it! **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I am so sorry guys, this chapter was seriously kicking my butt. No matter what I did it would not come out the way I wanted it, I deleted it and started over so many times I lost count. I finally just gave up and left it the way it is now. I hope that everyone else isn't as disappointed by it as I am. As always, reviews, concrit and suggestions are always welcome!**

**Chapter 16**

"Call off the trained monkeys guys." Mac says carefully rereading the text message from Logan. "The plan has changed."

Parker drops the duffel bag containing rubberbanded stacks of paper money. Her expression is filled with concern and, Mac is almost certain, disappointment. Lorena peeks around the back of the couch with a question in her eyes as well. "Oh no, what happened?"

Mac laughs at the sudden seriousness encasing the room. "Nothing bad. Dick just got back from Mexico, he walked in and told Logan that they should go out. We don't have to trick him into anything." Mac explains a little disappointed, she was looking forward to executing their Veronica inspired plan to get Dick to agree to show up at the club tonight. Mac had thought of that part of the plan. The other part of the plan, the part that Lorena has come to refer to as "Operation Dicksimus Macsimus", well that part of the plan was Parker's idea. They would still have to go through with that. Mac wasn't as excited about that part of the plan.

"I guess I should change then huh?" Parker questions, eyeing her sexy nurses uniform.

"I think that would be best." Mac tries not to make a face at Parker, while the plan itself was Mac's idea Parker had come up with the costume all on her own. Mas still wasn't sure what it had to do with anything. She was beginning to think that Parker had simply wanted an excuse to wear the sexy little outfit. She shakes her head as Parker dejectedly slinks off to her room to change.

"So, are you ready to go through with this?'

Lorena's quiet voice startles Mac who had almost forgotten she was there. "Um, not exactly no, this isn't really something I do norm-ever."

"Yeah, you don't seem like the type." Mac briefly wonders if she should be offended by that statement. She decides not.

"But you heard Parker, 'sacrificing yourself on the altar of dignity' and yada yada. Plus I'm pretty sure that it will work. But I promise you, you won't see me doing this again. Ever. So enjoy it while it lasts."

Lorena sits herself up on her knees, her elbows resting on the back of the couch. The grin she gives Mac is one filled with mischief. "Should I record it for posterity?"

"Do it and see what happens." Mac's menacing words are betrayed by the laughter that fills her eyes. She is surprised at how well she gets along with Lorena. Despite, everything. Lorena might be best friends with uber girly, social butterfly Parker Lee, but get her alone and she was as mellow and levelheaded as Mac herself was. The girl was shy and naïve, a normally dangerous combination, but Parker brought her out of her shell out into the world, and stayed by her side the whole time. On the other hand, Lorena toned Parker down, mellowed her out and helped her relax. Their friendship really was a perfect yin yang.

"Okay supercool party people let's do this!" Mac can hear Parker's excited voice coming from down the hall. She shares an amused glance with Lorena, who shakes her head slightly, by now used to Parker's enthusiasm.

As the trio makes their way out the front door, Mac has a sudden change of heart. She is sure that this plan will not work. She will only succeed in making an ass of herself in front of Dick. Who will probably think she is an idiot and never speak to her again. She doesn't want to admit the panic she feels at the thought. She tells herself that denying something isn't the same as lying to yourself. She knows she is wrong but she doesn't care.

"I can't do this." Mac stops abruptly. Parker and Lorena don't hear her and continue walking toward Parker's car. "Guys, I'm not going." Mac says louder this time. This time they stop, Parker turns around, her eyes narrowed at Mac.

"Oh yes you are Cindy Mackenzie. This is the perfect way to apologize to Dick. You know it. I know it. Now let's go." She says encouragingly as she walks back to Mac, grabbing ahold of her wrist and pulling her forward.

Mac keeps her feet planted firmly on the ground. Parker walks far enough away that Mac's arm is stretched out all the way then is jerked back when Mac doesn't move forward with her arm. "I'm serious. I'm not going. I'm sorry. I can't." Mac can feel the panic rising in her chest. Panic at the thought of what she could lose if this doesn't work. Panic at what she could lose anyway. She knows that she has to try something and this is the only plan she has. But the thought of actually going through with it and the embarrassment she is sure to feel even if Dick does accept her apology is too much to deal with. Her brain has reached an impasse with itself and she has no idea what she is going to do.

Lorena makes her mind up for her. "Get in the car or I'm going to call your friend Veronica and tell her everything you told us about your feelings for one Mr. Richard Casablancas Jr." Mac is stunned by the no nonsense tone of Lorena's voice. Evidently Parker is as well, she just looks at her with an amazed smile on her face.

"Alright alright, no need to go making any rash decisions." This time Mac allows Parker to lead her to the car, she opens the door and practically shoves Mac inside, slamming the door shut again before Mac can make a getaway. Meanwhile, Lorena walks around to the driver's side door, opens it and hits the lock button, removing any of Mac's escape routes. "Seriously not necessary." Mac mumbles from the back seat. Parker and Lorena exchange a knowing glance.

The entire ride, Mac sits dejected in the backseat, silently fuming and planning evil acts of revenge on the two in the front seat. By the time they arrive at the club she had thought of several creative ways to make their next semester at Hearst rather unpleasant and she was debating whether or not she should actually go through with them. They seemed a bit rash, but sometimes people had it coming to them and locking her in the car, well that deserved some kind of consequence.

"Whatever you're plotting can wait Mac, right now we're going inside and doing what we came here to do. You can argue with me about it later." Parker's voice breaks Mac out of her contemplations. The satisfaction she should get from giving Parker a dirty look is lost on the fact that Parker can't see the dirty look that Mac just gave her. She gives her one anyway.

_**Inside…**_

Dick leans forward resting his elbows on the table in front of him and takes a long swallow of his drink. A rum and coke. Without the rum. He was still feeling the effects of that bottle, or was it two, of green stuff. Logan was sitting beside him, nursing his own nameless drink and looking agitated. His phone was on the table in front of him and he kept glancing at it like he was waiting for something. Dick figured he was expecting to hear from Ronnie.

"How was Mexico?" Logan questions but doesn't look particularly interested in the answer.

Dick lets out a halfhearted laugh. What would Logan think if he told him what happened, the whole story? Well Logan, I drank a shitload of absinthe and hallucinated an entire conversation with Beaver. He didn't think that that would go over very well. "It was enlightening." Is what he finally decides to say instead.

Logan's eyebrow raises in question, "Really?"

Dick just nods his head in response, he doesn't want to get into this right now. Or probably ever. The absinthe, the hallucinations, the unavoidable conclusions that he finally came to, they were all probably better left unsaid. Or at least left for a conversation that was a little more private. Logan looks at him quizzically, Dick can tell that he wants to ask him more and he is thankful that he doesn't.

Logan jumps in anticipation when his phone finally buzzes with a text from Parker, he snatches it off of the table before Dick can see who it is from. Probably best not to have to explain why his ex-girlfriend is texting him tonight. Although there is an explanation and it's nothing like Dick would think it was. _We're here, Mac is chickening out, we may need your help. _He is not surprised by that revelation, he is actually more shocked that Mac had agreed to it in the first place.

"Gotta take a leak. Don't drink my beer." Logan says as he goes off in search of the girls. He looks everywhere around the club but can't find them anywhere. _Where are you? _

It only takes a second for Parker to reply, _Parking lot, she won't get out of the car_

When he spots Parker and Lorena standing by the back door of her car he is unsurprised to see a determined looking Mac sitting in the back seat, her arms folded firmly across her chest. He shakes his head with amusement. Parker was insane to think that Mac would go for this plan. She lived with her for a whole year, didn't she know her at all. He laughs to himself. This was going to be an interesting night.

"Cindy Mackenzie! You unlock this door right now!" Parker yells through the window, frantically yanking on the door handle. Mac just shook her head. She wasn't getting out of the car. She wasn't going through with the plan. She would just have to think of another way to apologize to Dick. Maybe she could give him a kidney. Or help him dispose of a body someday, that would be easier than Parker's plan.

Logan puts his hand on Parker's shoulder, gently moving her out of the way so that he can talk to Mac himself. Veronica was not the only one good at convincing people to do things that they didn't want to do. "Mac." She doesn't move but she gives him a sideways glance. "Watcha doing?" He kneels down so that he is level with her through the window.

"Staging a sit in." She still doesn't move. She is convinced that any movement would be construed as weakness on her part, she has to stand firm. "And figuring out what I'm going to do to Parker for coming up with this stupid plan. I'm thinking placing her on academic probation sounds like a fair consequence."

Logan looks up to Parker who doesn't seem concerned by Mac's threats. "We already told you what we'll do if you don't get out of this car Mac." Parker's voice is taunting. Logan glances back to Mac who has narrowed her eyes at the other two girls.

"You wouldn't dare." She says through clenched teeth.

"Try us." This time it's Lorena who speaks. Her voice isn't taunting but it's just as firm.

Logan is confused. He looks from Mac up to Parker and back again as they stare daggers at each other, trying to figure out what Parker could have been talking about. No one speaks. If Mac's eyes get any more narrow they will be closed. "As hot as it would be to see a chick fight, we have a mission girls." He says to break the tension.

"I can't do it Logan, he'll think it's stupid." Mac finally speaks, tearing her eyes from Parker to shoot a pleading look at Logan.

"That's why you're doing it. It's Dick. He loves stupid things." Logan laughs and Parker nods her head in agreement. "Besides you can cross it off of your list of 100 things to do before you die."

This time Mac narrows her eyes at Logan, she wishes she could argue with him but she knows that he is right. Damn his logic. And damn Veronica for telling him about her list. "Veronica is going to get it when she gets back." She says as she slowly leans forward and presses the unlock button in the front seat.

"Hey she only told me because she thought it was so cool, and she wanted me to write a list too." Logan explains as he opens the door, Parker grabs onto Mac's arm and pulls her from the car. Logan jumps back as Parker flings her out of the way then steps between her and the car keeping her from jumping in again.

"Easy tiger." Mac says grabbing onto Logan to keep herself from falling. Then shoots Parker an annoyed look.

Parker shrugs at her, unconcerned by Mac's hateful look. "Just being safe."

"I have to ask, what were you going to do if she didn't get out of the car?" Logan asks as they walk into the club.

Mac involuntarily shudders before she can answer. "Tell Veronica about…..this, about Dick…..and, yeah."

Logan looks to Parker and Lorena in shock, Parker knew Veronica well enough to know what a disaster that would be. Chances are no one would come out unscathed. He turns back to Mac who is nodding grimly. "If I were you I would have taken my chances with the plan. Veronica finding out is bad for everybody." With that he says goodbye and makes his way back to the table where Dick is sitting. Dick can't know that the girls are here. Not yet anyway.

"Run into George Michael in there?" Dick teases when Logan finally comes back to the table.

Logan is confused, he forgot that he told Dick he was going to the bathroom. "What?"

"Dude you were gone for like 20 minutes. That has to be the longest piss ever."

Logan examines the clock on his phone, it had in fact only been 9 minutes. "Dick your time telling skills are truly amazing, as always." Dick flips him off and goes back to playing with the ice in his glass.

The whole reason why Dick wanted to come out when he got back from Mexico was to get his mind off of things. He spent the entire drive back thinking about what he should do with the information he just received from his own subconscious. Apologize to Mac? Not just for kissing Lorena but for everything, again, and really really mean it this time? Try to make it up to her? What he did. What Cassidy did. Tell her how he feels, consequences be damned? If it was any other normal girl he would slather on the charm and ask her out, impress her with his wealth, then seduce the pants off of her and kick her out in the morning. This wasn't any other normal girl, this was Mac, and he was smart enough to know that none of that would work on Mac. And he didn't think that is what he wanted anyway, was it? He wasn't sure about anything anymore not since that fucked up conversation he had with Beaver. The only thing he was sure of was that he missed hanging out with Mac and he needed to fix this.

"_Um, sorry to interrupt the music guys, but we have had a special request that we just couldn't refuse. So even though tonight is not regularly scheduled karaoke night, please give a nice welcome to Cindy and Parker as they serenade us with some sweet lyrics. Ladies." _Dick's first thought was that he didn't remember them playing any music, his second thought was that those two names together sounded awfully familiar. He jerks his head up in surprise when the spotlight brightens up the stage. Was that Mac and Parker? On stage? With microphones?

_Every night in my dreams  
I see you, I feel you,  
That is how I know you, go on_

"What the hell?" Dick laughs looking to Logan who he expects to have the same bemused expression on his face. He doesn't. Logan smirks at him and raises his glass to the stage.

_Far across the distance  
And spaces between us  
You have come to show you, go on_

Dick is so absorbed in watching Mac, who surprisingly has an awesome singing voice, deep and sultry, like a thirties jazz singer, that he doesn't notice that more people have joined them at their table.

"What is Superfly doing on that stage singing?" Wallace asks dumbfounded. Cameryn, who is holding tightly onto his hand, starts swaying along to the music.

_Near, far, wherever you are  
I believe that the heart does go on  
Once more you open the door  
And you're here in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on_

"Sacrificing herself on the altar of dignity." Is Logan's response. Wallace just smiles, not sure what exactly is going on but enjoying it none the less.

"What is on her shirt?" Cameryn asks suddenly pointing to the stage.

_Love can touch us one time  
And last for a lifetime  
And never let go 'til we're gone_

Love was when I loved you  
One true time I hold to  
In my life we'll always go on

Dick squints his eyes trying to get a better look, for some reason it looks familiar. He is stunned when he makes out the word "Disneyland" on the front. No way. Mac, wearing a shirt like that. What is going on here? He glances over to Logan again who is smiling broadly at him.

"Dude?"

"It was her idea, although I'm not sure what the love song from Titanic has to do with anything." Dick did.

_Near, far, wherever you are  
I believe that the heart does go on  
Once more you open the door  
And you're here in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on_

Wallace and Cameryn are laughing now, holding their lighted cell phones up in a mock salute. Logan was contemplating taking a picture and sending it to Veronica. Dick was staring, mouth agape. Amazed, once again by Mac and her willingness to be the one to make the first move to apologize even when she wasn't necessarily the one who needed to. That was the awesomeness that was Mac. The song and the shirt proved beyond any doubt that Mac was doing this for him. Like Logan said, 'sacrificing herself on the altar of dignity'. No one had ever done that for him before. He was at a loss.

_You're here, there's nothing I fear,  
And I know that my heart will go on  
We'll stay forever this way  
You are safe in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on_

The crowd broke into applause as the final notes drifted out into space. Mac practically threw the microphone down and ran from the stage. Parker, on the other hand, gave a little curtsy and slowly made her way down. By the time they were half way to the table Lorena had joined them from the sidelines.

"Damn girl, you got some pipes." Wallace clapped her on the back and gave her an encouraging smile. Then laughed at Parker's 'what about me' expression. "You were…..good too." Everyone laughed, she wasn't good. At all. Good thing she wasn't too proud to laugh at herself.

Dick was fighting the urge to jump up and give Mac a hug. Or something else. Instead he gives her a charming grin. "Mackie that was awesome."

Mac blushes even brighter than she already was as she sits down on a stool next to him. Dick was looking at her the same way he looked at her right before he kissed her at the bonfire. She didn't know what that meant. It gave her a tingle that went from her head straight to between her legs. She knew exactly what that meant. Uh oh.

"Thought you might like it." She says quietly, hoping that no one other than Dick can hear.

"Like it? Oh my god baby it was amazing." Dick heard himself this time. He quickly looked away from Mac and busied himself with taking a drink of his ice that had melted. When he looked back up Wallace was giving him a discerning look, while Lorena and Cameryn were looking rather pleased. Shit.

Mac hadn't heard Dick's slip of the tongue. She was too busy trying to ignore the curious glances she and Parker were getting from people walking by. Some were giving her waves and smiles or thumbs up. Others were eyeing her trying to figure out what the random karaoke was about. This was the embarrassment she had been sure she would feel. Parker was so going to pay for this later.

"Like the outfit too." Dick says nodding to her shirt. The fact that Mac obviously missed the inappropriate nickname helped him to quickly regain his composure.

"I can't believe I have actually willingly purchased two of these now." Mac laughs finally looking Dick in the eye again.

"You should have told me, I would have worn mine."

Mac can feel her embarrassment start to fade away. She was too happy to care anymore. Dick was talking to her again, smiling at her again. She's not going to lie to herself anymore. It was totally worth it.

"So what's this about a 100 things list?" Parker asks out of the blue. Dick, Wallace and Cameryn look at her like she is speaking another language.

There's that embarrassment again. "It's nothing, just this thing that we-I wrote awhile back." No need to explain that she had started writing it with Cassidy as a joke that had unbelievably quickly turned serious. "Things I wanted to do or see, or places to go before I die. I've already crossed off a couple." Mac says sheepishly, avoiding looking anyone in the eye.

"And singing Celine Dion to a roomful of strangers was on that list." Lorena says completely serious.

Mac rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "No, but singing in front of a crowd was." Someone please change the subject. And quickly. No such luck.

"What else is on that list?" Dick asks, a wicked gleam in his eye.

"None of your business Casablancas." He didn't need to know that number 36 was to spend the weekend in bed with a lover or that number 62 was to go skinny dipping.

"What all have you crossed off?" Logan was genuinely curious, he had some ideas based on what Veronica had told him, but he still wanted to know.

"Well I crossed off 'getting so drunk that I don't remember the night before'." Mac reveals wishing she was joking.

Everyone around her breaks out in laughter, not even trying to contain themselves. Wallace is the first one to actually speak. "That was on your list? For real?"

How to explain that Cassidy had come up with that one, a lot of them actually, and even though most of the ones he had added she had later removed, for whatever reason she had kept that one on. It was the first one that got crossed off. "Isn't it on everyone's?" Good plan, get the attention diverted off of her.

"I don't have a list, maybe I should. Give me some goals to aspire to. " This was Dick.

"I don't need a list, if I want to do something, I do it." Logan.

"My list is short. College. Good job. Hot wife." Wallace. Cameryn gives him a sideways glance and playfully drops his hand. He is quick to grab it again and give her a winning smile. She rolls her eyes at him but lets him take her hand.

Mac isn't sure which inane comment she should respond to. They were all wrong on so many levels. Dick's was the least offensive. Surprisingly. "Aside from getting drunk, getting laid and eating eggs?" Mac teases, nudging him with her shoulder. Not a good idea. She must remember to keep all contact with Dick purely non-physical.

Instead of being offended Dick is amused. And pleased that she remembers their earlier conversation and his fondness for eggs. "Yeah that was my old list. It's not very inspiring."

"I don't know, if you could do all three at once, that would be something to aspire to."

Dick doesn't have a response to this, as the image of that pops up into his head. Everyone else has grown quiet, wondering what the hell they were talking about, it was obvious that it was some sort of inside joke.

The conversation soon turns away from Mac and her 100 things list. Everyone is depressed thinking about how the summer is coming to a close and classes will be starting up again. At the same time they are excited that Veronica will be returning soon. Everyone that is except for Mac, who is dreading the conversation that she knows she is going to have to have with the super sleuth. She had a hard enough time accepting that Mac wanted to be friends with Dick, she doesn't want to think about how she will react to that fact that Mac cares about Dick in a very un-friend like way. Mac is grateful for the two weeks that she still has to come up with a way to tell her. She is going to need all the time she can get. And maybe some backup as well.

When Cameryn and Wallace duck out sighting the fact that Cameryn has to work in the morning, the group decides to call it a night. As they are walking back to their respective vehicles, Dick suddenly grabs Mac and pulls her away from the group.

"Mackie, thank you. No one has ever done something like that for me before. Just, thanks." And he leans in to give her a hug. Mac can't help herself, she nuzzles her face into his shirt and inhales deeply. Bad choice. There's that debris, cascading down the mountain and knocking her off her feet. She is gone. And 'Operation Dicksimus Macsimus' is a raging success.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_**Where we left MaDi outside the club…**_

Mac takes one last deep breath and somehow her brain convinces her to let go of Dick and take a step back. When she looks up at him she has every intention of telling him 'goodnight' and that she has to work in the morning. But when she opens her mouth those are not the words that come out. She surprises herself by saying, "I, uh, well, I'm not really ready to go home. Yet. I was thinking about food." Mental head slap. It's just Dick. Speak girl, speak. "I mean I was going to go get something to eat." That's a little better.

Dick finds her sudden bashfulness adorable and for some reason it brings out the protective side of him. As much as he would enjoy watching the genius struggle for words for the next five minutes he decides to put her out of her misery. "I'm starved. Let's go get some omelets." He offers excitedly and Mac smiles, her awkwardness dispelled by Dick's easy going manner. She turns and walks toward where Parker's car is parked.

"Hey, I'm gonna catch a ride with Dick, we're gonna get some food. I'll be back later." She tells her leaning in the window.

"Ummm hmmm." Is all the perky blonde says, smiling wickedly at Mac. Beside her Lorena nods her head approvingly and gives Mac a thumbs up.

"Oh my god guys, we're just getting food and talking. I still need to actually apologize to him for the whole Cory thing." Mac protests against their implications. Omelets and conversation that was all it was. She wouldn't let it get any further than that. Right?

Parker glances at Lorena and the two share a look. Lorena tries to hold in her laughter but fails. It escapes her mouth in one loud, choked HA. "I can think of a couple ways he probably would like you to apologize." Parker teases.

Mac doesn't respond, instead giving them both the finger as she walks away.

"You know where the key is!" Parker yells out the window before driving off. Her laughter can still be heard even as she exits the parking lot and rounds the corner.

Mac slows her steps as she gets closer to Dick's truck. She can see him through the window fiddling with the radio a bewildered look on his face. She really wants to just hang out with Dick and have fun, like they use too before, well before anybody did anything stupid. She wants nothing more than to eat an omelet, watch a good movie and have a Halo marathon but she knows that if that is to occur she must clear the air first. For both of their sakes. Get in there and get it done, rip if off like a Band-Aid. All she has to do is have what is sure to be an extremely awkward and embarrassing conversation that shouldn't last more than ten minutes, then on to the food and nonsense fun. Taking a deep breath she puts her hand on the door handle, another quick little pep talk and she opens the door. Dick's hand is still on the radio button but he smiles at her when she heaves herself up into the cab. That heartbreaker's smile that Mac had seen him give to countless girls countless times before. She had never realized how powerful it was when it was directed at her. Damn.

"Dick, before we eat, we really have to talk." Focus Mac, it's just Dick.

Dick's expression goes from happy to terrified in three seconds flat. "Is this an 'I used to have man parts' conversation? Or an 'I secretly hate eggs' conversation. Cause I'm telling you dude, both would be pretty serious."

"No, it's more like an 'I'm sorry that I kissed your enemy' conversation." Mac mumbles, seemingly transfixed by the leather of the dashboard in front of her. This conversation will be a lot easier to get through if she doesn't have to look Dick in the eyes. Or the smile.

"Oh." He doesn't know what else to say. He lets his fingers drop from the radio and looks over to Mac. He wishes that she was looking at him so that he could read the expression on her face. Was she sad, angry, hurt? None of the above? He couldn't tell. The sound of her voice didn't help him either, she sounded the same way that she always did.

"It was stupid. I don't know why I did it. It's just-"

Dick cuts her off, instinctively knowing where her sentence is going to end up. He doesn't want to be reminded of kissing Lorena at the bonfire. Of hurting Mac. "It's okay. We're cool." Cool? Cool implied that they were friends, but didn't he want more than that? Did he?

"No Dick, let me talk. If we don't talk about this, actually talk about it it's always going to be in the back of our minds and we'll never be able to ," Mac pauses unsure of how to phrase this next part not wanting to say something stupid and scare him off. "Be friends like we use to." She finishes weakly. That was not at all what she had wanted to say.

"Friends?" Friends don't make out with each other on the beach, he wants to remind her but he keeps his mouth shut, lets her say what she feels she needs to say.

Mac continues on like she never heard him. She did, she just didn't know how to answer the question that he seemed to be asking. "I felt so stupid when I saw you kissing Lorena at the bonfire and I just wanted you to understand how I felt. I was trying to convince myself that I didn't care that you kissed her. That's why I kissed Cory, not to hurt you on purpose. If I could kiss Cory and be okay with it than there was no reason for me to care if you kissed Lorena." Mac spits out the words before she can change her mind. There was no going back now.

Dick groans, leans back in his seat and places his head in his hand, his elbow resting on the armrest. He knew that he had hurt Mac that night, but to hear her actually say it made him feel like an even bigger ass than he already knew he was. "Mackie I'm so sorry."

"I know Dick, but that's not the point are you even listening to what I'm saying?" This might take longer than the ten awkward minutes originally thought.

"Yes, I made you feel stupid. I'm an ass. I'm sorry." His words come out with a little more force than he had intended. When he sees Mac flinch he wishes he had some more green stuff to erase this conversation from his mind.

Mac's frustration at not being able to convey her thoughts brings to mind the underwear party and her trying to have a meaningful conversation with Logan. At least then she had the excuse that she was drunk. What was her excuse now? Twitter patted by sexy blond surfer guy? Damn. She could feel herself turning more girly by the second. Maybe tomorrow she would go out and buy herself a little pink miniskirt to go with her sequined porn star tube top. "Let me start over. I kissed Cory because I thought that if I kissed him and I liked it than it would mean that kissing you meant nothing and I could stop being upset about you kissing Lorena."

Dick just stares at her, waiting for her to go on, to explain. He knows he's not the smartest cookie in the jar, but he seriously has no idea what she is talking about.

Mac slaps the heel of her hand to her forehead in frustration. Longest. Conversation. Ever. Nothing to do now but to come right out and say it. "I was jealous and I wanted you to be jealous too!" Now wait for the chips to fall where they may.

Dick's deadpan face breaks into a little grin that soon becomes an encompassing smile. "Jealous? Really?"

"Yes. Dammit, I was jealous that you kissed Lorena after you kissed me. It made me so angry and I was tired of pretending that it didn't make me angry. I kissed Cory because I wanted you to feel jealous too!"

"Wanted to keep me all for yourself huh? I know, kid's got skills." Dick jumps slightly as Mac's fist connects with his shoulder.

"I'm trying to be serious here." Mac says angrily but she can't help but to smile at the petulant look on his face.

"Sorry, I just never would have taken you for the jealous type Mackie. And the whole Lorena thing was just so stupid." Dick knows that he has to finally give her an explanation for that night. He owed it to her after all the crap that he has put her through in the past, he is trying so hard to not be that guy anymore. "She was so innocent and sad and she reminded me of you."

The look on Mac's face tells him that what he is trying to say is not coming out right. "Shit. I mean, damn. I needed to know why I liked kissing you so much." His words stumble out so quickly and even he doesn't understand them.

"So you kissed another girl to figure out why you liked kissing me?" Mac knew this conversation would be awkward, she had no idea that it would also be confusing as hell.

"Fuck! I'm an idiot." He doesn't even know how to explain his thought process when he kissed Lorena. All he remembers is that it made sense to him at the time.

"Dick, why did you yell 'fuck' after you kissed me that night?" It was a question she has been wanting to ask and needing to know the answer to even more than why he kissed Lorena.

Dick doesn't answer for a second, taking the time to play with the little threads that were coming out of the steering wheel. "Stupid Logan and his dumbass ideas." He finally mumbles. It was all Logan's fault, convincing him to kiss her again to see if he felt something. He remembers being shocked when he had. Shocked and, let's be honest, incredibly turned on, Mac was an awesome kisser.

Mac turns her head away from him and out the window. What does Logan have to do with anything? "Logan made you yell after you kissed me?" Why does it seem like her life has suddenly become one long conversation that she wishes she never started. She is going to blame Veronica for this. Somehow.

"Yes. No. FUCK!" Dick slaps the steering wheel with his palm. Why is this so hard? It's just Mac. Genius, nice, mellow, looking unbelievably sexy in a t-shirt, cut offs and flip flops. Mac. He doesn't think that he has ever had this hard of a time talking to girls. Usually the charm just oozes out of his pores. If he has to say much of anything at all that is. And he usually doesn't. "You started it! Going all porn star kiss at the underwear party."

"I started it? Are we back in grade school? You gonna start pulling my hair?"

Dick tries to ignore the thought of pulling her hair while doing other things. It doesn't work. He has to adjust his position in his seat so as not to give her a view of a very awake Big Rich. "Yes, you started it. You kissed me first. Logan told me to kiss you again so that I would know if I just wanted to get in your pants or not."

Mac doesn't know what to say to that. She doesn't know how she feels about that. Dick kissed her because Logan told him to. Not exactly what a girl wants to hear. "Um….okay."

"Damn Mac. I don't know what you want me to say." Dick rubs his hand over his face. This was so not how he pictured this night ending.

"You never answered my question." She says softly. Why didn't she just skip straight to Halo? She had no one to blame but herself.

Dick looks at her sitting next to him. Looking all vulnerable and confused. He could play dumb and pretend that he doesn't know what question she is talking about. He decides to give her a straight answer for once. "Because I liked it. And it scared the shit out of me. I'm Dick Casablancas I don't have 'feelings' and shit. Especially not for my dead little brother's ex-girlfriend."

Mac is silent for a while, alternating between staring out the windshield and staring at Dick. Finally she smiles and buckles her seatbelt. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay let's go eat now. I'm starved." She motions for him to start the truck. He doesn't, he continues to stare at her.

"That's it? We're done now?"

"Yep, you answered my question. Now let's eat." Mac gestures forward with her hands waiting for Dick to put the truck in drive. After thirty seconds of the car not moving, Mac turns back to Dick who is staring at her perplexed.

"Seriously. Are you fucking kidding me?" Was this a trick? Dick knew how girls liked to be all tricky and manipulative. Telling you something one day and then going back and telling you they meant something else the next day. He was pretty sure that Mac wasn't one of those type of girls, but you never really knew.

Mac leans over and turns the key in the ignition herself, giving Dick a pointed look. "I'm not. Let's go."

"Okay babe, let's go." Dick finally concedes. He gives Mac one last scrutinizing look before he exits the parking lot and heads for the diner.

A week goes by with Mac spending 99 percent of her free time at the Grand with Dick and Logan. Neither of them brings up the conversation in the truck again, but it is obvious to Mac that Dick is kind of leery, as if waiting for her to spring it up out of nowhere. She knows she won't. In her mind it is settled. The Lorena and Cory incidents all but forgotten as she tries to bring herself to be able to tell Dick that she has feelings for him as well. She doesn't know why it is still so hard even after he told her that he had feelings for her. She suspects that she is having traumatic flashbacks to high school when the differences between an 09er and an 02er were vast and seemingly insurmountable.

For his part, Dick is complacent to hang out with Mac and be friends with her. Her reaction to his confession in the truck has convinced him that she too wants to be more than friends and it is only a matter of time before she finally admits to him her own feelings. He hopes it's soon, he was not built for celibacy.

"You know you still owe me a favor." Dick's random words interrupt the silence and Mac lowers the textbook she was pre-reading to stare at him over the top.

This could go in so many directions. All of which would probably end with one of them naked. Be careful Mackenzie. "I am aware." She says the unease written across her face.

Dick pauses his game and turns his body so he's facing Mac who is sitting above him on the couch. "So I've decided how you can finally repay me."

"Should I be afraid?"

"Nah, it'll be fun." He jumps up from his sitting position on the floor and reaches out his hand to help Mac up.

Mac wearily closes her textbook and sets it on the coffee table. The tingly butterflies in her stomach feelings she feels when she takes Dick's hand and he helps her up, have gone on to the point of being annoying. She knows how to make them stop but she doesn't want to go there. Not yet. Sure she slept with both Bronson and Max but she is sure that one time with Dick and she would be ruined for all other men. Worse than crystal meth indeed.

"You said that last time."

"And wasn't it?" He winks at her not letting go of her hand as he pulls her to the door.

Her mind flashes back to her waking up to find Dick in bed with her. Fun isn't the word she would use to describe that. "Yeah until you snuck into bed with me." She whines, only mildly concerned with where Dick is dragging her too.

He stops at the door and whirls around to face her. "Baby," It has become a habit that he can't control. Mac never complains so he keeps doing it. "You were in MY bed." He emphasizes the 'my' by jamming his pointer finger into his chest. A little too hard.

"Yeah but I was there first. Didn't you ever learn how to take turns?"

"And didn't you ever learn how to share?" The words are entirely innocent but the lecherous tone of voice quickly changes their meaning. It must be a talent the way Dick can turn the most harmless sentence into something straight out of a porno.

Mac chooses not to question where he is taking her. Instead turning the radio dial aimlessly looking for something that was not the Pussycat Dolls. By the time Dick shuts off the engine and announces that they have arrived she has given up, settling for an oldies station that doesn't come in very clear. She cuts her eyes from the building they are parked in front of and back to Dick. "This is a tattoo parlor."

Dick nods his head as he opens the door and starts to climb out of the truck.

"I'm not getting a tattoo."

"You're here for moral support."

Mac is shocked Dick didn't seem the type. Sure everybody and their grandma was getting ink these days but she couldn't picture Dick wanting to mar such a pristine landscape. "You're getting a tattoo? Let me guess, a rose on your ankle?" That really was the closest guess she could come up with. Dick and a tattoo. Where was this leading?

Mac doesn't cringe when the needle pierces his skin the first time and she is insanely proud of herself. She really wants to throw up but makes herself keep it together for Dick's sake. "You could always say you got it in prison. Give you some street cred." She tries to joke to keep from being sick. She can tell that it hurts but Dick is putting on a big show of manliness.

Dick snickers half-heartedly at her and stops himself immediately. Life lesson: never laugh while getting a tattoo on your side. "Yeah and maybe dear old dad will get one to match." He winces as the needle starts in on his ribcage.

"So, why am I here exactly?" Mac focuses her attention on his face not able to watch the sickening pace of the needle anymore.

"To entertain and distract me."

"Oh really, have any requests?" Shit, she knows better than to ask Dick a question like that.

"You could always take off your top, that would distract me." He looks at her playfully.

The tattoo artist moves Dick's arm to rest on top of his head. "Do that and I'm not responsible for how this tattoo turns out." Dick and Mac both look to him in surprise. He never moves his eyes from what he is doing. Mac can see a slight smile playing on his lips.

Feeling suddenly self-conscious, Mac moves to put her arms over her chest. Not that anything can be seen under her t-shirt, but still. "Um, anything else?"

"Well since you're offering-" Dick begins, grinning lasciviously at her. The tattoo artist snorts.

"I take that back. I'll think of something on my own." Dick stares at her expectantly, waiting to see what she is going to do. After a beat she holds out her hand to him, "Give me your hand."

Dick is suspicious but reaches his free hand out to her, giving her a quizzical look. She takes his hand and wraps it around her pointer finger. "Squeeze it as tight as you can, when I say okay open it back up, but just a little bit." She quietly counts to ten. Dick watches her mouth move with no sound coming out. It's really hot. "Okay." When he releases her finger she lightly strokes the inside of his fingers. Also hot. "Now try to open your hand." When he does he finds that he can't, his brain tells his fingers to open but it's like an unseen force is holding them closed.

"Dude that's fucking weird. Like some voodoo shit."

Mac giggles and leans back in her chair. She stretches her legs out to rest on the table underneath him giving him a perfect view of her shapely legs.

"So was that distracting enough?" She asks rubbing her bare legs against the air conditioning in the building.

Dick is working hard to not stare at her legs. "Yeah, distracting." He croaks. Now he just needs something to distract him from her and he'll be all set.

Once the tattoo is finished and rubbed down with Vaseline, Mac and Dick are standing in front of a mirror examining it. The 'c' in 'Casablancas' begins just under his armpit, the rest of the letters swirling and connecting down his side to end with the 's' sitting just above his hip bone. The script is pretty but the way the artist connected it looks masculine and strong. Mac has never been the type of girl who liked tattooed guys, but she is finding herself increasingly turned on the longer she looks at Dick. She wants to reach over and touch it, run her hand up the smooth surface. Kiss it better and then- damn girl, it hasn't been that long since Max. She tears her eyes away from the mirror and looks up at Dick. The feeling isn't going away.

"What made you decide to do this?" She needs to talk to get her mind out of the deeply inappropriate place it was heading to seconds before.

Dick gingerly puts his shirt back on, mindful of the sensitive area down his side. Maybe he should rethink the shirt. "I'm reinventing the name."

"Is that anything like reinventing the wheel?" Mac teases then waves it away at Dick's un-amused look. "Nevermind."

"Think about it Mackie, hearing the name 'Casablancas' doesn't really bring up warm and fuzzy feelings for most people. More like 'oh shit run the other way' feelings. I'm going to change that."

Mac contemplates this as Dick pays the artist and sets up an appointment to finish the shading. He had a point. As much of an ass as Dick could be he really didn't deserve to be categorized with his thieving father and sociopathic brother. The name Casablancas did usually bring forth feelings of anger and disgust among most residents of Neptune. But could he really reinvent the name all by himself. That seemed like a mighty large undertaking for one person. Especially a person who doesn't have the best track record himself. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I guess I'll figure it out as I go." He shrugs and holds the door open for Mac. "Ronnie's like a do-gooder type person maybe she'll give me some ideas."

Mac's eyebrow raise tells Dick maybe he should rethink that. "You do know Veronica is one of those people who has the 'oh shit' feelings about the Casablancas name right?"

"She'll get over that someday." Dick's cockiness was astounding, Mac couldn't help but laugh at how sure of himself he was.

"Well I'm glad to know you have a plan." The sarcasm is not lost on Dick.

"Hey I have a plan to get a plan. It's a start." They have reached the truck now and Dick opens the door for Mac, helping her up into the seat. She blushes at him as he shuts the door. When did he become such a gentleman? Although if you ask him, he has always been one. Mac grins at the memory. Was it really almost two months ago that they had that conversation? Time sure flies when you're wasting time with spoiled little rich boys who live in a hotel.

"And you should be proud." Mac says when Dick climbs into the truck and turns over the engine.

He puts the truck in gear buts keeps his foot on the brake. "Thanks for coming with me. I really didn't want to come by myself." His heartfelt gratitude throws Mac for a second, still not entirely used to seeing the un-Dickish side of Dick.

"Yeah and don't worry I won't tell anyone that you cried."

Dick briefly looks alarmed wanting to protest against Mac's accusations. Then he sees the smirk on her face. "Yeah and I won't tell anyone you get sick and fainted." He can play this game too.

"Oh you are sneaky Casablancas." Dick laughs as he takes off down the road. Racking his brain for an excuse to not take her home yet. He can't think of one. Damn.

_**Later that night…..**_

At first Mac's sleep flogged brain thinks that her alarm clock is going off. Without opening her eyes, her hand flails in the dark searching for the snooze button to quiet it. After hitting the button about four times with no success she finally wakes up enough to realize that it is actually her phone ringing. The caller id says _Echolls. _She has a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Logan wouldn't be calling her at three in the morning without a really good reason. What if something happened to Veronica? To Dick?

"Logan, what's wrong?" She doesn't even bother with a hello, she has to know why he called her.

Logan's voice is quiet, solemn, she isn't sure but she might hear some tears in there. "Can you come over?" It sounds more like a command than a request.

"Yeah sure I'm on my way." She throws the covers off herself, she'll explain to her parents later. "What's wrong?" She asks again, terrified of his answer.

"Dick's freaking out. I'm really worried about him."

His avoidance of saying the words is making Mac fear the worst. Can't he just spit it out already? "Logan, what happened?!"

"Big Dick is dead."

Shit.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

When Mac finally makes it to the Grand Logan is waiting for her. Standing in the middle of the lobby with his hands on his hips. She has to wonder how long he has been standing like that. From the look on his face she guesses that it's been awhile.

"What happened?" She questions as soon as she is in the doors.

Logan just shakes his head like he is still unable to process the information. Can't yet form into words what happened. "His dad's lawyer just called. Said that they found his body inside a bar. Poisoned. They think one of the people he scammed did it." Mac can now tell that she was wrong about the tone of Logan's voice on the phone. It wasn't sadness at all. Disbelief and confusion where what Logan was obviously feeling.

"What." It's not really a question, Mac just has no idea what to say. What could be said? Sorry that he lied and cheated people out of millions then skipped the country to leave the mess behind for his sons to clean up and someone wised up and got rid of the bastard. That hardly seemed appropriate.

"I guess they found something in his drink. Cyanide. I feel like I'm living in a bad detective movie from the fifties." He waves his hand in front of his face as if envisioning the marguee. "Death by cyanide." When he laughs there is no humor in it.

Mac had to agree, she has to force herself not to laugh. "When did this happen?"

Logan shrugs his shoulders, rubs his hand over his face. For the first time Mac can see how tired he looks. Exhausted actually and broken. She is pretty sure that neither of those are because of Big Dick's death. She makes a note to talk to Veronica later and figure out what is going on with the two of them. "Earlier tonight. Last night. Whatever. Here." He holds something out to Mac. She is surprised to see that it's the keycard to his suite.

She doesn't say anything, just looks at him questioningly. Doesn't make a move to take it from him, or any move at all for that matter. She is not sure why he is giving it to her.

"Take it."

"I'm not. I mean I don't know." She stops, waits for Logan to finish her thought for her, give her the words that she doesn't know how to say. He doesn't. "You're not coming up?" Maybe try an entirely new line of thought instead.

Logan shakes his head. "Nah, I gotta go take care of something."

"At three in the morning?" She begins but Logan silences her with his look. Maybe it was best not to know what he had to take care of at three in the morning. She is about to start for the elevators when a thought occurs to her. Big Dick was not beloved by either one of his sons. She knew for a fact that he had wanted to spend time with Dick before going to prison but his namesake continuously avoided him. She doesn't imagine that Dick is huddled somewhere in the fetal position crying his eyes out but he has to be affected someway or else Logan wouldn't have been so urgent on the phone. "How is he?"

Logan cuts his eyes up to the ceiling as if he can actually see Dick through all the levels from down here in the lobby. "He's…..weird. It has completely weirded him out." Logan is at a loss for any other word that would adequately describe how Dick has been acting since he got the news.

"You said you were worried about him."

"Yeah, just go up and see for yourself." Logan gestures to the elevator as he walks backward out the door. Mac watches him until he disappears before she actually enters the elevator. She is still staring out after him as the doors slide shut.

When Mac steps off the elevator she hesitates before using the keycard that Logan had given her. She isn't sure what she is going to walk into, she isn't sure how to help him deal with this. As she twirls the key in her hand she realizes that she is wearing the exact same clothes that she wore to the underwear party. She finds that thought oddly comforting. It's random but for whatever reason it helps to relax her so she clings on to it with everything she has and inserts the key in the slot.

"Dick?" She calls out tentatively, quietly closing the door behind her. "Logan gave me the key. Are you okay?" The words are barely out of her mouth before Dick has come out of the kitchen and marched up to her. Grabbing her up around the waist and pinning her against the wall. Her legs instinctively wrap around his hips and his mouth fiercely covers hers. When his tongue enters her mouth her legs grip tighter on his hips and she groans involuntarily. There is a part of her brain that is telling her something about stopping, about his dad, and about this just being a coping mechanism. She mentally bitch slaps that part and reaches up, entangling his shaggy hair with her fingers.

"Mackie. Baby. Baby please don't ever leave me." His voice is barely a whisper, his forehead resting on hers. He is holding her gaze, saying so much without saying anything at all. He can't sit back and wait for her to come to him anymore, he has to know, now. He needs her. Now.

"I'm here Dick. I'm not going anywhere." She kisses his cheek, the corner of his mouth, his jawbone all the way back to where it meets his ear.

He stiffens at the feel of her mouth. Everywhere. Tears his gaze away from her, dropping his head. He hadn't intended for this to lead to anything. He had just wanted to hold her, kiss her, know that she at least was safe, with him right then. "I don't have anyone left. Just you. Baby, I need you, here, with me. Don't leave. Ever."

The pleading in his voice breaks Mac's heart. And even though she could disagree with him, could point out that he still has Logan, that is not what he means and she knows it. She knows what he needs, what he is asking for without saying the words. She untangles her fingers from his hair and cups his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "Dick. I'm here. I'm not leaving."

Dick kisses her again, sweeter this time. Pushing her body more firmly against the wall, bringing their hips closer together, he grinds himself against her. She moans again, a soft mewling noise that makes him twitch. "Shit, baby." His voice is low, husky and he lets out a sigh, his breath in her ear, tickling down her neck.

All of her reasons for not sleeping with him are vanishing out of her head every time he calls her 'baby'. The husky timbre of his voice affects her in a way that she has never experienced before. She loosens her grip on his hips with her legs, sliding her body down his. She can feel all of him and when she looks up in his eyes there is no shame there, only lust. As she reaches to grab the waistband of his jeans her fingers brush along his stomach. She can see him shudder. He moans almost inaudibly. She has no resolve left whatsoever. She steps around him, grabbing onto a belt loop as she goes and heads into his bedroom.

He hesitates briefly. This wasn't the way he had wanted this to happen. He had wanted things to be different with Mac, wanted to show her that he wasn't the guy that he used to be, that he could be sweet, romantic even if that was what she wanted. He didn't want it to be an impulsive thing or some sort of pity-fuck. But there she was wearing the same sexy outfit that she had on at the underwear party, dragging him to the bed with his pants for fuck's sake! What was he supposed to do? It had been way too long for him. He lets her lead him into his room.

She takes her time getting undressed, even though it is just as hard for her as it is for him. She is thoroughly enjoying the reactions that he is having at seeing her naked for the first time. The desire clearly written in his eyes is doing a good job of boosting her confidence.

Not able to hold back any longer, he grabs her by the waist and lays her down on the bed. He wastes no time undressing himself.

Mac is a little concerned to see that all of his big boy toys were not purchased to overcompensate for anything. She decides not to voice her observations. She doesn't want her mood to be killed by one of his haughty comments. Instead, she slides herself up the bed so her back is resting on the headboard. She is suddenly feeling self-conscious. The knowledge of Dick's vast experience swimming around in her brain. She bites her lip, tries to bring the sheet up over her body.

"Uh huh." Dick whispers, yanking the sheet out of her grasp. Damn she looks hot when she does that. He can tell that she doesn't even know it either. Is completely unaware of what she is doing to him. She should be, it is glaringly obvious. She stifles a yelp as he pounces on the bed, covering her body with his.

_**Much, much later…**_

Mac is on her back with Dick face down beside her, his arm slung over her stomach. Her breathing is still ragged, uneven. Dick hasn't so much as moved in the past ten minutes. She wonders if he is asleep or just blissfully incoherent. She is staring at the ceiling tiles, contemplating the fact that she just slept with Dick Casablancas when the man in question suddenly moves, rolling over to face her.

"I think I had a crush on you when you were dating Bea-Cassidy." His voice holds a hint of shame.

Mac is unsure what to think about that proclamation. It didn't make sense at all. But when did anything in Neptune make sense? "You hated me." Is all she says.

"I don't think I did. I think I was jealous. He was always talking about how cool you were. How much fun the two of you had together. And there I was stuck with Madison the ice queen, who wouldn't know how to have fun if it pistol whipped her in the face with a black AmEx card."

"You hated me." She repeats lamely, thrown by his mention of Madison. She knows that she is going to have to tell him about the whole switched at birth story sooner or later, she isn't sure that now would be the best time.

Dick sighs and pulls her closer to him. "You have GOT to stop saying that!"

"Sorry. I just always thought you did."

He lowers his gaze, too embarrassed to meet her eyes. "So did I."

The sadness that accompanies those words causes a hitch in Mac's breath. Neither one seems to know what to say after that. Mac takes the opportunity to examine Dick's tattoo again. She traces the outline of the letters with her pointer finger and smiles at the goosebumps that form on Dick's skin. The smile fades quickly as she remembers her original reason for this visit.

"Are you okay?" She whispers, her finger still on his tattoo.

It only takes a second for Dick to understand her meaning. "Yeah. I guess. I mean it sucks, but somehow I'm not surprised you know? Like he kinda had it coming." He flinches as he says that last part.

"Nobody deserves to be poisoned. Especially not over money." She says more to comfort Dick than out of regret for Big Dick dying.

"I know. It's just. I don't know." Dick rolls over and sits up, his back to Mac. "I know I should be really upset, cause like my dad, is dead. But I'm not that upset. And that makes me more upset. Shit, that doesn't make any sense does it?"

Mac sits up on her knees, moves so that she is closer behind him. She tentatively puts her hand on his back. Sure they just had sex but the whole comforting thing is new to her. She is pretty sure that that is not what he is looking for anyway. What he wants is reassurance. He wants someone to tell him it's okay to feel the way that he is feeling. "No it does."

At the sound of her voice his head jerks up and back in her direction almost like he forgot she was there. "Yeah?"

She nods, begins scratching his back with her fingers. He leans back into her hand, pushing her nails further into his skin. "Yeah."

"I mean, I'm sad he's dead. Cause that sucks. But I don't like, miss him. He's been gone for over a year now anyway. I stopped missing him a while ago. If I even did. It's just that-" He stops himself looks back to Mac, scared to repeat what he had said to her earlier. He doesn't want to scare her. "I meant what I said before. About being alone."

Mac drops her fingers from his back, takes a steadying breath before she opens her mouth to speak. "And I meant what I said before. I'm here Dick. I'm not going anywhere, unless you give me no other choice." She wants to say more but Dick has turned around and tackled her to the bed. Covering her still naked body with kisses.

"I won't. Don't worry."

"Dick there's something that you need to know." Maybe now isn't the time to bring up the Madison/switch thing but she needs to get it out anyway. If they are starting a relationship and she is pretty sure that they are, he needs to know about it, it's kind of a big deal.

Dick won't be dissuaded from his current task. Pausing only briefly to give her a cocky grin. "I already know that I'm a sex god." He goes back to kissing her chest, her belly, the insides of her thighs. He is instantly hard again by the smell of her.

Mac halfheartedly tries to wiggle out from under him, but only succeeds in putting herself in a more compromising situation. "Yes, but-" When she feels his mouth on her all thoughts of whatever it was that she was going to tell him are gone. The only concern she has now is Dick and getting him back inside of her. She groans when she feels his tongue, arches her back to give him better access.

When he has finished giving her more coma-inducing pleasure, this time with his mouth, he slowly crawls back up her body. "Now what were you saying?"

"I have no idea." She says contentedly, her eyes drooping shut. Whatever it was, it can wait.

**A/N: And there you have it, I hope that everyone is satisfied with them finally being together. I'm really not comfortable with writing sex scenes (I haven't had a lot of practice writing them and I don't want it to come out smutty) so that is why I kind of glossed over it. And I know this chapter is a lot shorter than some of the other ones but I felt that them finally getting together needed to be a stand-alone kind of thing. Also, this story is just about done I'm not sure exactly how many chapters are left but there won't be many. However, I hope you will be happy to know that I am already planning a sequel that I will begin posting soon after finishing this one! I hope you all will read that one as well. **

**As always reviews and concrit are always welcome!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_**The streets of Neptune…**_

Logan didn't really have anything that he needed to take care of at three in the morning. He wanted to give them some time alone. Maybe Mac would be better at helping Dick than he was. His attempts had failed. Miserably.

Sympathy hadn't helped.

"_Dude, this sucks. I'm sorry. At least now he doesn't have to go to jail. He's in a better place or whatever." Logan moves in for a hug. Dick looks at him like he's insane._

"_My dad died, I didn't become gay. Get the hell off of me dude." _

Humor hadn't helped.

"_Well at least you know for sure he's dead. You know they never found my mom's body. I'm expecting her to pop up any day now and tell me to stop being such a lazy ass and move out of this hotel." _

_Dick doesn't say anything, just picks up his phone and sets it down again, debating whether or not he should call Mac._

Sarcasm hadn't helped.

"_So do you think that we should have a separate celebration for all the people he scammed or can we all fit into one hall?"_

_Dick actually looks like he wants to smile this time but he just can't bring himself to do it. Finally, Logan retreats to his room to call Mac to see if she can do any better._

Logan quickly calculates the time difference between Neptune and Virginia. He wants to call Veronica and he figures that the death of Big Dick is a good enough reason too. He hates that he has to have a reason to call her now. He never has before. But ever since Virginia…yeah he has to have a reason. It's four in the morning that means it's seven there. She should be awake by now. Getting ready for her day.

"Hey Logan. You're up early. Or late." Her voice is hesitant, unsure. She is surprised to hear from him. Their usual flirty banter will evidently not be heard in this conversation.

Logan is glad to hear her voice, glad that she actually answered the phone. He doesn't want to waste his time talking about Big Dick or Little Dick. He just wants to talk to Veronica. To fix the mess that he created when he went to visit her. Now is not the time, he knows it. He shakes his head in frustration. "I just thought you should know that Dick was killed last night."

"Oh my god! What happened? Logan are you okay? I'm coming home today, I'll be on the next flight out." Her voice is high pitched, her words frenetic.

Logan realizes too late his mistake. Although, he is secretly happy to know that Veronica wouldn't be planning a 'ding dong Dick is dead' party, if that were actually the case. "Sorry, BIG Dick is dead." Emphasis on big.

He can hear her take a deep breath on the other end. Whether it's to calm herself after thinking that another one of her 'friends' was murdered or to berate Logan for not clarifying, he isn't sure. "Okay, wow. How's Dick holding up?" So she does care. Maybe.

"He's okay. Kind of weirded out, but not that upset I don't think."

"What happened?" Logan recognizes the tone of her voice, her pixie spy radar must be going berserk.

"He was found dead at a bar. Cyanide in his system. Cyanide in his drink."

Logan can hear her stifle a chuckle. "Did we stumble onto a fifties murder mystery dinner?" She sounds like her old self again, the hesitation gone from her voice.

"Death by Cyanide." Logan laughs, amazed at how similar their thought processes were. He smiles at the phone, wishes she were here. Wishes he hadn't done what he did in Virginia. He doesn't want to talk about Big Dick anymore, just wants to hear her voice.

"Do they know? I mean, who did it?" Her voice is muffled as she says this, Logan imagines her getting dressed, imagines that she wasn't dressed when she answered the phone. Don't go there Echolls, she isn't yours anymore.

Logan pushes the thoughts of her undressing out of his head, works to make his voice sound normal. "No. They're guessing someone that he scammed but as far as I know they have no leads yet."

"Well, from what I hear there's a new Sheriff in town and he is quite the detective. I'm sure he'll have this case solved before you can say 'I'm bringing sexy back.'"

"And why would I say that?"

"Cause some people do. And maybe you've become one of those people who do since I last saw you." Both ends of the line get quiet, remembering just what exactly happened the last time they saw each other. Now is when the conversation gets awkward. Damn.

After a beat Logan speaks up, tries to ease the sudden tension. "Listen Veronica I-"

Veronica starts in at the same time. "Logan I'm sorry." She laughs when they stop at the same time. "You go ahead." She finishes.

"I'm just sorry is all. About what I did. I should have known better. It's just, I don't know." Logan's voice is soft, solemn, he isn't exactly sure why he is apologizing, he doesn't think that he did anything wrong. It just seemed like the right thing to say. He doesn't remember the last time he had such a hard time talking to Veronica. Maybe when they were twelve and they had just met and he was distracted by her soccer uniform. Probably not even then.

"No, I'm sorry. The way I reacted. Everything." Her voice is unsure again, barely a whisper. This was why they have avoided the phone since he got back. He is chastising himself for talking to her without some sort of plan first. A conversational map of what areas to strictly avoid, some lines clearly drawn for him to stay between. Stupid stupid Logan.

The conversation is over and they both know it. Neither one of them wants to fall into another one of the screaming matches that they used to have. It just seems easier to let it go, end the call and get back to what they were doing before. Well, maybe not easier, but less exhausting.

Try as he might, Logan knows that he can't salvage this phone call. "Bye Veronica." He doesn't want to hang up, he knows he has no other choice.

"Bye Logan. Take care of Dick." And she is gone. Logan spends the next couple of hours sitting despondent on the beach. Watching the sun come up and wondering how in the hell he is going to fix this new mess he made with Veronica. If he is honest with himself, he doesn't know if it can be fixed this time.

_**Back in the penthouse…..**_

Dick grins when he wakes up and finds his arms still around Mac. Who knew that waking up with a girl that you actually cared about could be so nice? He pulls her closer, buries his face in her hair. The sudden movement wakes her up, he can feel her stretch beside him.

He inhales deeply. "Your hair smells like apples, it's making me hungry." Wow, really romantic dude.

Mac just laughs, turns her body so she is facing him, chest to chest. "You want to eat my hair?" The embarrassed look on his face is so adorable she can't help but to reach up and give him a light kiss.

"What I meant to say was 'fix me some eggs woman!'"

"Woman?" Mac questions with mock irritation.

Dick playfully glances down at her still naked form. "Yeah, you are. I'm pretty sure that I would know if you weren't after last night."

Now it's Mac's turn to be embarrassed. Her face flames red as his eyes linger over her body. She is unused to such blatant adoration. She is still having trouble getting used to the idea that that adoration is coming from Dick. Casablancas. Sure Bronson and Max complimented her in that over the shoulder, hurried way that a lot of college guys do just to secure their place in your bed later that night. Dick was different. Dick actually looked at her when he complimented her. Dick took his time to show her just how much he appreciated her. Dick was a giver. Max and Bronson, not so much.

"What would you do if I said 'get me some eggs man!'?" Mac questions, half serious.

Dick shrugs nonchalantly, he isn't bothered, he slowly reaches over to grab the phone off of his nightstand, presses the '0' and waits for a response.

Mac opens her mouth to question him but he shushes her with his finger to her lips. Thinks briefly about biting his finger, but changes her mind when she realizes that he would probably like that. She can hear someone pick up on the other end and greet Dick very formally. She rolls her eyes at the ceiling when she can hear him refer to Dick as 'sir'.

"Yeah, can I get two plates with scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and apple juice." When he hangs the phone back up he gives Mac a cheeky smile, then proceeds to cover her mouth with a big sloppy kiss. "Now what did you have to tell me?"

Mac is confused by his question. Weren't they talking about something else? Wasn't she mildly irritated at him? Were they talking about anything at all? "Ummm…" Is her only response. Dick is looking down at her clearly amused. She feels stupid. One night with him and she is already losing brain cells. She knew he was worse than crystal meth!

"Last night baby, before I pleasured you into a blissful sleep." He explains, emphasizing the word 'pleasured'. His cockiness is infuriating. In a good way. She is starting to understand the whole Logan and Veronica dynamic now.

"Right." She struggles out of his grasp. Sits herself upright. Hoping to give herself some kind of advantage by making herself tower above his still lounging form. She doesn't have the slightest idea how he is going to react to this news. Unbelieving? Amused? The only way to find out is to tell him. She stares in his curious eyes, they are so blue it's very distracting. Is this going to change everything? Tell him, tell him now. "So it's kind of a funny story. You know Madison Sinclair?" Did she really just say that? Seriously?

Dick nods his head but doesn't say anything. Was that a real question?

"Okay, for a long time I was convinced that I was adopted because I didn't fit in with my family at all. So I hired Veronica to look into my parents for me and dig up what she could about me being adopted." Half way done, this isn't so hard.

"Are you? Adopted?"

Mac snorts, shakes her head. "I wish, that would be so much easier." Mac's voice has taken on a cynical tone that Dick picks up on right away.

"Baby what's the matter? What does this have to do with Madison?" He asks, suddenly remembering her earlier question.

"I wasn't adopted. But Veronica found something else out. Something bigger." Mac pauses, gives herself a minute to brace herself for what she has to say, she's never said it before. It's harder than she thought it would be. Dick looks at her expectantly, a little concern evident in his eyes. "The reason I feel so out of place with my family is because they aren't my family. I was switched at birth in the hospital. My parents took home the wrong baby." She says the last part slowly, she doesn't want to have to repeat herself.

Dick's eyes get wide as she is talking. He sits himself up, some unknown emotion radiating off of his body. "Holy shit! Doesn't shit like that only happen in the movies?" He believes her and he doesn't sound amused. "But what does that have to do with-" He stops himself midsentence, looks at Mac with his mouth hanging open. "No fucking way."

Mac can't say anything, she just nods. She wishes that he was still laying down so that she would still have the height advantage. She wants to wait and see what he says before she says anything else. She is trying to discern just how he is taking this news, she can't.

"That's like, seriously fucked up!" Yeah basically, she couldn't have said it any better herself. "So you're supposed to be her and she is supposed to be you." He is obviously trying to wrap his head around the idea and having a hard time with it. Mac can relate she still hasn't wrapped her head around it and she has known for two years now.

"Just call me Madison Sinclair."

Dick lets out a breath, runs his fingers through his hair and starts mumbling to himself. Mac watches him for a second before chiming in, she thinks she heard him say something about fate and dream. "What?"

"You know that one of the only reasons why I dated Madison is because she lived down the street from me for like ever?" He leans back on his elbows, glances at her sideways, unsure if he can meet her eyes as what she is telling him begins to sink in.

Mac nods. She knew. And she knows where he is going with this because she has been going there too a lot these past few weeks. "And cause she is hot." She adds with an 'it's obvious' tone of voice.

"Yeah but she's a bitch. And you're hotter. I could have been with you all along instead of wasting time with Ice Queen Barbie."

Mac wishes she could agree with him. Wishes that it was that simple. But she likes to think that her, the deep down to her core person that she is, would still be the same no matter which set of parents raised her. She doesn't think that that high school person would have dated high school Dick, no matter what her name was.

Dick senses her hesitation. Wonders why she isn't agreeing with him. "You don't think so?" He tries to hide the offense in his voice. Doesn't take his eyes off of her even when he hears room service knocking on the door.

Mac takes the opportunity to extricate herself from off the bed. Grabbing a robe she wraps it around herself and walks to the door. She can feel Dick staring at her as she walks out of the room. When she returns with the room service cart she can still feel him watching her. Finally she gives in. "I don't think that high school you would have even dated the Madison Sinclair version of me." She pushes the cart to the bed but doesn't make a move for the food.

"Why not?" Dick doesn't waste any time getting his hands on a plate and digging into the still hot food.

Mac debates how to answer that question without offending him. "Well mainly because you were all 'party, party, party, sex, sex, sex' and I was more like 'study, study, study, work, work, work.'" She answers as gently as she can, sensing that her opinion will matter more now that they are sleeping together.

Dick is unprovoked by her observation. "Pssshh. If we had been in the same circles in high school I would have noticed you and I know I would have asked you out." He replies assuredly. As if the matter was not open for debate.

Mac remains unconvinced but decides not to press the issue. She doesn't want to hurt his feelings, realizing that she may be one of the only people who would even be able to. Once again they are silent while they eat their breakfast. More accurately, Dick eats his food, Mac takes a few tiny nibbles and just pushes the rest around on her plate. Her mind is wandering to all sorts of annoying places that she doesn't want it to.

Dick finally notices that she isn't eating. "You okay babe?" He loves being able to call her that. He has decided to use it at every opportunity, he hopes that she doesn't grow tired of it too soon. "Thinking how your life coulda been different?" Poor Mac, what must it be like to know that some bitchy mean girl was taking everything that was rightfully yours? That had to suck.

"No actually for once I'm not, I just-is this wrong?" She gives up on eating and sits the plate with the rest of the food back on the cart.

"Wrong?" Dick asks, he isn't sure what she is getting at.

She scoots back up the bed, pulls her robe tighter around her and brings her knees into her chest, like she is barricading herself off from something, bracing herself. His response to her question maybe. "Us? Is this wrong cause I dated your brother? Sometimes I feel like it is."

Dick understands how she feels, he went through the same thoughts over and over again in his brain. The final conclusion that he came to? Fuck it. "It's only wrong if you feel like it is. Screw it if anybody else thinks it is. Look at Logan and Ronnie. EVERYONE thought that was wrong when they started going out, did that stop them? No, and I kinda think it made them more into eachother."

"That was almost profound Dick." Mac smiles, she is completely serious.

"I have my moments." After putting his own plate on the cart, he snakes his arms around her waist, pulling her roughly to his side. He falls back on the bed and drags her with him so that she is laying on top of him. "Besides, I'm the one who should be worried, wondering if you're comparing me to my brother."

Mac is lost for a second but then it dawns on her what he is saying. He thinks that her and Cassidy slept together. Why would he think that? Did Cassidy tell him they did or is he just assuming? "We never. Me and Cass, we didn't." She has lost her words. Laying on top of a naked Dick and talking to him about her non-existent sex life with his brother. She doesn't want to bring up the fact that they almost, that they tried and he couldn't. Can you say awkward?

"You didn't? Never?" Dick can't hide the excitement in his voice.

Mac shakes her head but doesn't say anything, just smiles awkwardly down at Dick. He reaches up and plants his mouth on hers. It's not a playful kiss. As much as Mac wants to succumb to his persuasive powers, she has concerns about Logan coming home and finding them here together. She is not ready for Logan to know about their relationship. And by Logan she means Veronica. Shit, Veronica. What is she going to do about Veronica? She shudders to think what her reaction to this new development would be. On the other hand, as Dick so helpfully pointed out, Veronica doesn't have a lot of room to talk. She is the queen of doing whatever she wants, screw everybody else. That thought does little to ease Mac's apprehension at the thought of Veronica finding out about her and Dick.

"Clothes. Logan." She manages to say against his mouth. He shakes his head, pulls her in closer. When she finally is able to break the kiss and roll away from off of him, he looks at her pouting. She turns her back to him so she can't be distracted and begins the search for her clothes. She throws his at him as well. She can hear him groan in annoyance every time a new article of clothing comes sailing through the air.

"Why are we putting clothes back on?" He reaches up and catches a pair of boxers that she has just thrown to him.

She turns around, pulling up her pants as she goes and gives him an apologetic look. "Because Logan is eventually going to come home."

Dick finally pushes himself off of the bed, still holding onto the boxers. He smiles at her wickedly and does a little Chippendale move before pulling the boxers up. "So?" He sounds like a moody teenager but he doesn't care.

"I don't want Logan to know about this." She gestures randomly from herself to Dick and back again, then flails her hand in the direction of Dick's bed.

"I knew it, you're ashamed of me." He replies jokingly, but Mac is certain there is a hint of hurt there as well.

She doesn't say anything as she hooks her bra and pulls on her shirt. Dick is still standing in nothing but his boxers, waiting for her response. "Um…NO! I'm trying to protect your nuts from getting tasered. If Logan knows it's only a short matter of time before Veronica finds out."

She's right. He knows it. That doesn't stop him from trying to argue it. "Who the fuck cares about Ronnie, I'm not scared of her and her damn taser." He shouts as Mac, who is now fully dressed, opens the door and walks out. She pauses momentarily to shoot him a disbelieving look. "Okay fine the little pixie spy scares the shit out of me, but who can blame me she is mean as hell."

Mac nods her head in agreement and continues walking out the door. Dick is so not done with this conversation, he follows her out the door, still wearing only his boxers. "That is not the point. Didn't we just get done talking about how it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks?"

"I don't care what EVERYONE else thinks, I care what Veronica thinks. And it's not even that I really care, I'm just not ready to face off with her about it. Do you think she'll just accept it and throw us a party when she finds out? No, she's gonna sit me down and lecture me for about nine hours." Mac is wandering around the penthouse as she speaks. Searching for signs that Logan has been or is currently there. She is thankful that she finds none.

Dick is only halfway mollified by her response. He begins talking without thinking about what he is saying. A bad habit of his. "Well just explain to her that we're supposed to be together and she can't fight fate." He counters, sitting on the couch and stretching his legs in front of him on the coffee table. Let's see what kind of quick response she can come up with for that. Seconds then minutes pass with neither one saying anything. Mac is studying Dick carefully but her expression isn't giving anything away. Dick starts to get nervous. Should he not have said that? He's beginning to think that it was a bad idea.

"Fate?" At last Mac speaks. She leans against the wall, eyeing him skeptically.

So Dick tells her everything. About the conversations that he had with Cassidy when he was still alive. About the dream that he had that seemed to be a continuation of a dream that she had, and how the hell freaky was that anyway? He tells her about Mexico, the green stuff and the entire hallucination that he had starring Cassidy. All of the reasons why he is convinced, against his better judgement, that they are indeed, fated to be together. The belief in fate was against his better judgement, not being with her. He feels he has to clarify, they have already had some major miscommunication problems he doesn't want this to become another one.

Mac doesn't know what to say. She has always sort of believed in fate in an 'awww wouldn't that be sweet' kind of way, but never seriously, and never ever concerning herself. But Dick's conviction is hard to resist. It would be sweet. And even his logic is hard to argue with. Mac finds herself agreeing with him. Maybe it is possible that they were meant to be. It just took mistaken identities, a murderous boyfriend, various slutty girls, some crazy drunk nights and one case of poisoning for them to figure it out. Veronica and Logan had nothing on them. Epic indeed.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**DICK**

Nobody wanted to be at this party any less than Dick. It was a party and Dick Casablancas didn't want to be there. That should have been a giant red flag to everyone else. Okay, so it wasn't your average fifty keg bacchanalia that Dick usually attended, it was a homecoming party for Veronica. But still, the word 'party' in the title should have helped it out some, but evidently it was a misnomer. For starters there was not one keg, let alone fifty. Secondly, he wasn't all that thrilled that Ronnie was coming home as that meant less time with both Logan and Mac. Which led to the last reason he didn't want to be at this party, Mac. HIS Mac. Who was here, standing ten feet away from him wearing her standard outfit of t-shirt, cut offs and worn out Chuck Taylors, but still managing to look incredibly sexy, how had it taken him this long to realize that? The thought still baffled him. She was here, he was here, but they didn't arrive together and they wouldn't leave together, and he was not allowed even the most innocent of touches. They could talk, briefly, and only within a group. He was only to address her as Ghost World and no one was to refer to anything that had happened since the bonfire incident that Veronica already knew about. Mac had laid down the rules pretty hardcore and he was still a little stung at the fact that she cared so much what Ronnie thought about them being, whatever they were being.

"Dick, I don't think I've ever seen that look on your face before. What's the matter?" Veronica interrupted his silent contemplation. Her voice held no actual concern.

"I was thinking actually." He replied dryly, staring forward, avoiding looking in her squinty eyes.

Veronica let out a loud laugh, snapping her fingers in front of her face. "That's why I didn't recognize it. Don't hurt yourself now."

He was so not in the mood for her bullshit, it was her fault he wasn't having a good time at this party, her fault he couldn't hold Mac's hand or play with her hair idly or march her around the other side of the house and hold her against the rough siding, let her wrap her legs around his waist while he traced a line of kisses across her jaw and down her chest. Hell, he couldn't even be nice to her, he had to be a jackass to her like he used to be. Damn Mac and her rules. Stupid Ronnie and her stupid childish hatred of him. "Why don't you go annoy someone else?" He takes a swallow from his red plastic cup containing nothing harder than some too sweet iced tea.

"Aw, you know I like to annoy you the most." She grinned impishly. He wished she never came back from Virginia. Not only for his sake but for Logan's, who had been dejectedly sitting by the grill talking to Lorena the entire night, Dick could tell he was using all of his willpower to not fix his eyes on Veronica's every move.

He was trying to think of a good reply but his sour mood was making that task a little harder than usual. He was saved from that burden by Wallace joining their little group.

"So Superfly. I know you've been studying," He looks pointedly to where Cameryn is standing talking to Mac and Parker. "What are your FBI trained instincts telling you about my girl?" His expression is hopeful. Dick is concerned with the amount of credit everyone seems to give to Veronica's opinion about things. What was she the Dali-fucking-Lama?

"I think she may just be Wallace Fennel material." Veronica laughs good naturedly and Wallace breaks into a huge grin.

As they begin talking about the many attributes of Cameryn Farrior, Dick allows his mind to wander. He is still looking in the direction were Mac is standing. He once again notes her outfit, spends several minutes contemplating her shoes. They were really ratty. Did she still wear them because of sentimental reasons or was it just her hatred of shopping in general that he has recently learned about. He is guessing that it is the latter. She'll probably wear them until they literally fall apart on her feet before she buys another pair. He idly thinks about buying her a pair himself. Maybe he'd buy her more than one pair, fifty pairs, hell he could buy her a pair in every color they came in. He is suddenly filled with the desire to make up for every material thing that she missed out on by not having the life that she was supposed to have.

He abruptly walks away from Veronica and Wallace, he doesn't think that they will notice his absence. He makes his way to Logan who is still talking to Lorena. As he gets closer he can see Lorena visibly tense and make a concerted effort not to look at his approach. What the hell is that all about?

"So you appoint yourself Captain Grill or you just avoiding Ronnie?" He takes the empty seat next to Lorena who shifts uncomfortably before getting up and excusing herself, speaking only to Logan. Dick watches her leave and shakes his head. Chicks, did anyone understand them?

"Oh just perfecting my basting techniques for when Bobby Flay comes to throw down with me." Logan deadpans turning his attention meaningfully to the empty chair once occupied by Lorena and then back up to Dick.

Dick just shrugs, he doesn't know why she left so quick. He probably hurt her feelings, he seems to be good at doing that without even realizing it. "Why did you even come to this party if you weren't even going to speak to the guest of honor?"

"I don't see you Gilmore Girls-ing it up with her either dude."

"Um, actually I was just speaking to the lovely lady and she insulted me, again, so I left."

Logan chuckled, rolled his eyes at Dick. "And that surprised you? She has had twelve weeks of pent up frustration at not being able to insult you, I'm sure she is just getting started."

"Not surprised, irritated. Fucking Ronnie." He says out loud even though he only meant to think it. He quickly looks up at Logan who is staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face. "Sorry man, it just sucks cause like I can't even talk to Mac or whatever." He says by way of explanation.

Logan waves off his apology, "What's going on with that anyway?"

Dick looks at the ground, casually kicks at the grass with his sneaker. He mentally flips through more of Mac's rules. No talking to Logan about whatever they are now, let him keep thinking that they like each other but that they still haven't figured anything out. And most importantly, no telling Logan about them sleeping together, they have been Veronica level sneaky getting Mac into and out of the penthouse almost every night. He is watching an ant crawl across the armrest of his chair when Logan slaps his shoulder, raising his eyebrows at him.

"Well?"

"I don't know dude, we talk and stuff, but it's whatever. I mean she's cool to hang out with but I think maybe we're better just as friends. I'm so not looking to be in some serious relationship or shit right now." Dick has a hard time talking so nonchalantly about Mac, but she had her rules, and besides, those were her words not his.

Logan looks at him suspiciously. He is feeling increasingly irritated at the scrutiny, but he doesn't want to make Logan any more suspicious so he doesn't say what he really wants to say. "What the hell you looking at dude?" He asks annoyed.

"Nothing, just thinking." Logan turns his attention back to the 'party' goers.

Dick is looking for a change of subject before he slips up and breaks one of Mac's rules. He says the first thing that comes to his mind. "So what do you think is up with that Lorena chick?" Nodding his head in her direction. He isn't really curious, just wants to talk about something else, he is sure Logan can probably tell. Oh well.

"I don't know, maybe your Casablancas charm just proved to be too much for her." Logan says noncommittally, his eyes are still on Veronica.

Dick follows his gaze, rolls his eyes when he sees where it ends. "Whatever dude. Just fucking talk to her already!"

Logan gives him a dirty look but doesn't say anything.

Dick tries again, he is really getting tired of the Logan/Ronnie relationship rollercoaster, he doesn't recall buying a ticket so why is he always riding on the death car? "Seriously, talk to her or get over it."

"Ah, young Skywalker, spoken like only someone who has never loved can speak it."

"Hey dude, I've loved." Dick is offended and doesn't bother trying to hide it in his voice.

Logan laughs derisively, rolling his eyes skyward. "Someone other than yourself man."

Dick opens his mouth to argue that but as soon as he does he realizes that he can't. He hasn't loved. Not really. He didn't even love the girl he was married too for three seconds. Sure he has lusted the crap out of people but never loved them. He thinks about how screwed up his family is, the fact that he isn't even sad about his dad dying, and wonders if he is even capable of feeling that emotion. He turns his attention back to Mac who is now sitting across the way from him talking to Wallace's mom, she notices him looking at her and she gives him a slight smile. He tries to give her one in return but she has already turned her attention back to Ms. Fennel. He hopes for her sake he is capable of it. He knows that she is going to need that from him, maybe not now but eventually. He is sure that if he can't give it to her she will be gone, the thought makes him physically ill.

**LOGAN**

Logan isn't stupid. He knows that there is something that Dick isn't telling him about him and Mac. He can tell. The easy way that Dick says her name now. The looks he sees them giving each other when they think no one is looking. It all reminds him a little too much of him and Veronica when they first got together. Substitute the elevator at the Grand for the girls bathroom at the high school as the makeout spot of choice and you've got almost the exact same storyline. If he wasn't so wrapped up in his own drama involving Veronica and the Virginia disaster, he would torture Dick until he broke and told him everything. He is happy for them and whatever they got going on, he knows that Mac will be good for Dick. He's not so sure about the other way around but whatever. How many couples out there do people look at and say "Yes they are perfectly equal in every way." Rarely. It's always, "What the hell is she doing with that jackass?" So it was with him and Veronica. So it will be with Mac and Dick. Good for Dick. Just pray that she never realizes how much better she can do than you. Sure Dick's his best friend, but he wasn't stupid, or blind. He doesn't think anyone would argue with him thinking that Mac definitely got the short end of the stick in that relationship, or whatever the hell it was.

"What the hell is HE doing here?" Logan snaps his head up at the sound of Dick's voice. Irritated and surprised. He follows his gaze to see it resting on Weevil who has just apparently wandered out from the back door. Logan clenches his fist involuntarily as Weevil walks straight over to Veronica and gives her a giant bear hug.

"Pissing me the fuck off." With that he pushes himself off of the chair and strides purposely across the back yard. He plants himself firmly next to Mac and Mrs. Fennel so that he has a perfect view of Veronica and Weevil. Which might seem slightly like jealous boyfriend behavior but who the hell cared anyway? "Thanks so much for the invitation Mrs. Fennel, your house is really charming." He says by way of ingratiating himself into their conversation.

If Logan's sudden appearance surprises either of the women, they are both able to hide it well. "Well thank you Logan, I'm glad that you could make it." Logan misses the look that passes between the two as he nods his head absently, keeping his attention focused solely on Veronica and Weevil. He would never understand the friendship that they had. He would also never understand why Veronica refused to admit that Weevil had a thing for her. Wasn't it obvious? Evidently it was to everyone except Veronica who seemed to be living in denial.

"So I heard Darrell mention something about spending some time with family, are you guys going on vacation?" Mac has apparently chosen to ignore Logan's inattention to what is being said.

The long pause before Alicia answers does not, however, go unnoticed by Logan. "Yeah, well, he is. He will be, visiting family. I will be, going elsewhere." Logan smirks at her awkwardness. Like a teenager caught in trying to come up with a plausible lie. She shifts her eyes nervously from Mac to Logan.

"Ah, elsewhere, I've been there many a time. I have a standing reservation at a restaurant there." Logan gazes wistfully over Mac's shoulder as if remembering some far off place he visited as a child.

Mac hides a smile and nods her head in agreement. "I think I may have been born there. Oh wait, maybe that was St. Elsewhere."

Mrs. Fennel shakes her head laughing a loud belly laugh. The sudden noise startling Veronica and causing her to turn her attention to the group behind her. "Oh you kids." She shakes her head one last time and walks away, patting Logan's arm as she goes. There was something entirely parental about both the statement and the contact that Logan felt a little sentimental for a moment, remembering various arm pats when he was a child. Before his father's proclivity for underage girls became known and contact was not a form of punishment.

"Are we over here talking about the scenery of elsewhere?" Veronica's voice catches Logan off guard. For once, he had been so involved in his reminiscing about something else that he had forgotten to track her every move. He stares her down, willing her to come closer. She does. He smiles as she leaves behind an annoyed looking Weevil and comes to stand between him and Mac.

"And the days of Yor." Mac adds, looking herself a little awkward. He notes her sudden twitchiness, he has a vague sense of knowing why she would feel that way around her best friend, but it is muted by his excitement of his first face to face conversation with Veronica since Virginia.

"Yor was always my favorite time." Veronica gives him a sincere smile and he is filled with the sense that maybe this can be salvaged. He smiles back at her, giving her his best heartbreaking grin.

Beside him, Mac shifts nervously from foot to foot, examines the ends of her hair, then quickly announces her need for the bathroom. He is left standing alone with Veronica. Everyone else seems to have gravitated toward the other side of the yard, near the grill and the food, giving them a perfect opportunity to speak with some semblance of privacy.

"Logan I don't want you to hate me." Veronica's words rush out, she looks surprised like she hadn't known that she was going to speak. Why would he hate her? If anything he thought she hated him, why else would she have reacted like she did?

"Veronica, I don't. I couldn't. Ever." He reaches his hand out to touch her, but stops himself midway, he lets it hang on the air for a second before dropping it down to his side again. "I still love you Veronica. No matter what."

He is speaking softly so that only she can hear, but she still looks around nervously, makes sure no one is eavesdropping. "I was just so surprised. You surprised me. I didn't know what to do, what to say." She looks guilty, heartbroken. He wants to fix it, fix her.

"It's okay. I mean it's not, it sucks, but it's okay."

"I mean who proposes to someone whom they're not even dating Logan, honestly?" Her laugh is forced. He wonders what surprised her more, the proposal to someone that he wasn't even dating, or the fact that he did it after finding her on a date with someone else. "What were you expecting to happen?"

Is that a rhetorical question, he really can't tell. He used to be so good at reading her, but three months apart seem to have dulled his intuition a little when it comes to her. He answers anyway. "That you would jump up and down and scream like a schoolgirl, maybe even faint." Is his sarcastic response.

"It's not that I don't want to marry you Logan, someday, but right now. We're still in college, there's so much we haven't done, experienced. How can you know that you'll be happy with me twenty years from now? That you'll even be the same person then. That I will?" Her eyes are searching his face hopeful. Begging him to give her an answer, the answer that she wants to hear. That everything will be peachy and they'll live happily ever after. They both know that it is impossible but he knows her well enough to know that is what she wants to hear. He won't lie to her.

"I don't. You don't. All I know is how I feel now, and now I feel like I want you in my life for the rest of it. That's all I care about. Not what I'm going to want in twenty years because that has nothing to do with what I want now." He holds her gaze, won't let her look away. Pleading with her with his eyes to take back what she said in Virginia, to change it to a 'yes'.

She breaks his gaze, looks to the left of his shoulder, not meeting his eyes. She looks sad, like she wants to cry. "I love you Logan, I do." She finally says.

"But?" He asks angrily.

"But nothing, I love you."

He smiles tentatively at her, bends his head so she is looking at him again. "Are you saying yes?"

She shakes her head almost imperceptibly. "No."

"Are you saying no?"

He can see the hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "No."

"WOOHOO! That's good enough for me!" He shouts causing everyone to turn and stare at the pair. Veronica quickly leans over and covers his mouth with her hand. He fights the urge to lick her palm, nipping at it playfully instead.

"Oh my god, stop!" But she is laughing. He is laughing too and everyone else has returned their attention to whatever it was on before. He wraps an arm around her shoulders, dragging her closer to him and leaning down to place a light kiss on her temple.

**MAC**

Mac finds herself in the bathroom staring at her face in the little mirror above the sink. She is examining her face closely, sure that there is some sort of sign on it that will hint to Veronica that she, Cindy Mackenzie, is currently engaging in a sexual relationship with Dick Casablancas. She is almost surprised to find none. She looks the same as she always has. Big blue eyes, pale skin, dark hair with a purple streak in it. Maybe she should consider dying it yellow. Yellow for coward. Is she seriously scared of the tiny blonde pixie spy? So scared that she is actually hiding in the bathroom just to avoid her. What is she more scared of happening if Veronica finds out? That she'll taser Dick in the nuts until they fall off so that she can hang them on her rearview mirror, a threat to anyone who dares cross Veronica Mars? Not really, at least she is pretty sure that that would never happen. Or that she'll stop talking to Mac, cut her out of her life forever and she'll lose the best friend she has ever had? Yeah, that's what she's afraid of.

There is a tiny window in the bathroom that looks out to the backyard. Looking out it Mac has a good vantage point to see what is going on outside. Veronica and Logan in some sort of intense conversation, not really a surprise there. Weevil standing close to but obviously not taking part in the conversation between Wallace, Cameryn and Darrel. He is looking menacing as per usual, but since she has gotten to know him, Mac is fairly sure that he is probably just trying not to forget the list of groceries his grandmother asked him to pick up on the way home. Parker and Lorena also seem to be engaging in a deep conversation. Parker looking sympathetically at Lorena who has a pitiful expression on her face as she is looking somewhere over Parker's shoulder. Mac follows her gaze, is surprised to find it ending at Dick. Dick who is still occupying a lawn chair by the grill but is now solo having been abandoned by Logan on a mission. Uh oh, Dick is bored. Mac watches in quiet fascination as he idly plays with his empty cup, leans back in the chair so the front two legs are off the ground before tipping forward and seeming to propel himself off of it. Mac looks again at Lorena who is still staring at Dick, pure longing written on her face, but Mac can tell it goes a little bit further than attraction, Lorena has a crush on him. Of course, Mac shouldn't be as surprised as she is. That explains a lot about the way Lorena has acted since coming here.

"Stop it, we have to hurry." Mac can hear muffled voices in the hallway outside the bathroom door. Was that Mrs. Fennel? A soft _thump_ followed by some girlish giggling. "Cliff is here, we have to change before they notice we're gone." The words spoken only half sternly.

She can still hear voices but they are getting softer, walking further away from her. Mac tentatively cracks the door open and peeks out. Doesn't want to embarrass herself or whoever was in the hall. The coast is thankfully clear and she steers herself to the back door. Once outside, she is drawn almost unconsciously to where Dick is. Halfway to him she has a change of heart and veers off in the direction of Wallace and Cameryn. She motions for him to follow her in what she hopes is an inconspicuous manner. She is sure that it probably isn't. Covert ops where more Veronica's thing. This is going to get old. Fast.

"So lovebirds, ready for school to start?" She says upon reaching them. It's a lame attempt at conversation but she doesn't care. She is simply biding her time until Dick finally saunters his way over to her.

"Would you think I was a geek if I said 'yes'?" Cameryn admits, looking momentarily bashful at Mac.

Mac pretends to contemplate this before answering her. "Not at all. You child development majors are all the same."

"History, actually." Cameryn corrects proudly, her tone of voice suggesting that she has made that correction more than once and doesn't tire of it. All at once, Mac's sixth sense kicks in to overdrive and she is hyper aware that Dick has claimed his place next to her. Finally.

"What's that they say about 'in the making' or 'repeating itself'? Damn people say a lot of shit about history." Mac can't help but smile at Dick's randomness. Wallace and Cameryn don't look quite as amused as she is.

"We're just talking about Cameryn's major." Mac explains avoiding looking him in the eye but comforted by his presence. "History." She adds to clarify.

Dick looks confused, "I thought it was elementary education." He deadpans, then his face breaks out in a grin. Mac nudges him with her elbow. This is why people think he is an ass all the time.

"Dude do you even have a major?" This from Wallace.

"Yeah, something something, business management. Or something."

As the three begin talking about majors and classes, Mac's attention in drawn to Veronica and Logan who are walking up to join the group. Mac lowers her eyes and can feel a flush creep up her neck. She steps away from Dick. Keeps her gaze fixed first on the ground then on a spot just above Veronica's head. She has got to get over this irrational fear of Veronica's opinion. She wants to stay, she wants to stand her ground. And she does, briefly, until the proximity to Dick and Veronica's always alert eyes proves to be too much for her. She makes an excuse about needing more to drink and wanders away. By the time she reaches the drink table she can feel Veronica walk up beside her.

"If I didn't know better I would say that you were trying to avoid me Mackenzie." Veronica jokes. Mac turns to her trying to hide the guilt on her face. She had no idea how right she was.

Diversion, quick. "Why would I avoid you when we have some serious girl talk to catch up on?" Veronica looks at her quizzically, one eyebrow raised. "What the hell happened in Virginia?" Mac was genuinely curious not just asking as a way to hide her guilt.

"Oh, that." Veronica lowers her gaze, starts playing with the rim of her cup. "Well Logan came to visit me." She adds.

Mac waits a beat then looks at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. It doesn't seem that she is going to. "Um, yeah, I'm aware." She gives her the 'go on' gesture.

Veronica sighs, drops her hand from the cup and looks up at Mac. "It was just a big surprise." She stops again. Mac doesn't think it's ever been this hard to get Veronica Mars to talk.

"Yeah, those damn rich boys who just love you so much and offer up the grand gestures can really screw up a girl's life." Mac says sarcastically. Veronica looks at her curiously. She opens her mouth like she wants to say something then abruptly shuts it again. "Just saying." Mac shrugs her shoulders. She doesn't know what happened in Virginia and maybe she never will, but she does know that they need to suck it up and get back together. For the sake of everyone around them.

Veronica looks meaningfully at where Dick is standing before narrowing her eyes at Mac. "Yeah and about those damn rich boys."

Mac can feel her heart speed up. Dear god, please don't let Veronica call her out right here, right now. She is so not ready to explain herself. "What about them?" She is trying hard to keep her voice steady, she is pleasantly surprised at the force with which her words come out. Veronica Mars can't scare her.

Veronica is interrupted by a commotion near the house. It's Keith and Alicia emerging from the house with none other than Cliff McCormack. Alicia has changed from her jeans and t-shirt to a stunning white sundress. Keith into dress pants and a white button up shirt. Mac and Veronica share a look, with Mac shaking her head in confusion. No she doesn't know what's going on.

Keith raises his hands in the air and claps several times to get everyone's attention. "Thank you all for coming here to help us celebrate the safe return of my globetrotting daughter." He gestures to Veronica who, Mac notices, is looking more than a little embarrassed. "And since everyone we love is here already, how about another reason to celebrate?" With that Cliff holds up a CD player and presses the 'play' button, drowning out everyone's chatter with the sounds of "Here Comes the Bride".

There is an appropriate amount of applause and cat calls from the assorted guests. They don't waste any time getting right into the vows as soon as the excitement has died down. Mac stays near Veronica during the brief ceremony. Intermittently glancing at her out the corner of her eyes. She has an expression on her face that changes periodically between excitement and jealousy. Mac can't even begin to figure out where that is coming from.

Across the way Mac sees Dick gesturing to her with his hand down by his side. She looks up at his eyes, curious as to why he is trying to get her attention. He simply gives her a giant goofy grin. She wants to ignore him, be angry with him for making so obvious of a gesture that could have gotten Veronica's attention. She can't be. His ability to charm her from thirty feet away is truly astounding. She grins back at him. Doesn't bother trying to hide it. He is crazy. And she loves it. She is going to do everything in her power to get Veronica to realize that Dick is not the devil, he is not even close to the guy that they knew in high school. She is going to get Veronica to see the Dick that she sees. The sweet, funny, loyal Dick. Then she'll tell her about them. She doesn't know how long it will take, but it's a plan anyway.

"What's up with Dick? He looks like he finally found the prize in the cracker jack box." Veronica whispers from beside Mac. She stiffens slightly, is worried that they stupidly got caught by a smile. When she turns to Veronica she is relieved to see that her attention is focused on Dick's cheesy grin and not on Mac's own.

She shrugs. "Maybe he did."

**VERONICA**

As soon as Cliff says those magic words "You may now kiss your bride", Veronica is marching over to where the happy couple is standing. She wants to talk to them before anyone else gets a chance to.

"Congratulations Dad." She pulls him in for a hug, squeezing just a little bit harder than necessary, leave her in the dark about something will he? She lets go, moves to Alicia, pulls her in as well, it is slightly awkward. "And Mom?" She laughs but there is a question in her eyes.

"Only if you want to." Alicia answers easily. She turns to her dad who simply shakes his head, shrugs his shoulders as if to say 'I don't care'.

"Mom." She declares, Alicia smiles warmly at her and hugs her again. "So why wasn't I informed of this? I didn't even know you two were dating again." Her tone is accusatory, she gives her father a withering glare.

"Well, Veronica, despite what you believe, you don't have to know every detail about my life."

"Maybe not but the important things like where you live and who you're married to, those are things that I, being you're one and only spawn, should be privy to."

Keith shares a conspiratorial look with Alicia before looking back to Veronica. "We wanted it to be a surprise." They say in unison. Well mission accomplished.

She feels someone coming up behind her then she is suddenly grabbed around the neck, a knuckle pressing into her scalp. "Sis!" It's Wallace followed closely by Cameryn.

"Did you know about this?" She jabs her finger at him, poking him firmly in the chest.

He playfully swats her hand away, rubs the spot where her finger was. "No, do you think I could have kept it a secret from you if I had?" She can't argue with that. He is horrible at keeping secrets from her. Everyone is.

Cameryn is standing behind Wallace, her expression dreamy. "I can't believe I was here for that. So sweet." Veronica looks at her sharply wondering if she is being sarcastic. She decides that she isn't. She is surprised at how well Cameryn fits with Wallace, she wants to be leery of her, it is her nature, but there is something about her that makes it difficult. Maybe it's the way she has infiltrated herself into their little group or her ease and general niceness with everyone. Veronica wants to hate her, she really does, and the more she wants to hate her the more she finds herself liking her. And she hates that, dammit!

"Oh my god!" She yells excitedly to Wallace, "Does this mean we can finally get bunk beds!" She starts to jump up and down, Wallace puts his hands on her shoulders to calm her.

"Nope, no bunk beds but maybe if you're real good I'll get you something better."

Veronica closes her eyes and crosses her fingers, "Please say a pony, please say a pony."

"Actually I was gonna say the family discount price on the tickets to my games but I'll see what I can do."

One by one everyone else makes their way to the happy couple to offer their congratulations. Veronica is disappointed to see that at some point in the past half hour Weevil has disappeared. She is not surprised, he never was comfortable with most of the people here, she is glad that he came at least.

When Mac comes up, she hugs both Keith and Alicia, giving Veronica an odd look over Alicia's shoulder. What is going on with Mac? Veronica has been avoided by enough people in her life she thinks that she can tell when someone is avoiding her. No matter what Mac says, she was avoiding her. She is going to make it her mission to figure out why. And what the hell was with Dick? She doesn't recall ever seeing him so spastically, giddily happy and not be drunk. And to see that so soon following his father's murder was a little concerning. Despite her proclaimed hatred for Dick, she did worry at his well-being, if only because he meant so much to Logan. She would figure out what was going on with both of them, she knew she would. She always does.

There is the sound of a champagne bottle popping followed by loud cheers. "To my beautiful wife and my new family!" Keith is elated at his newly married status. Veronica looks at him fondly, reaches for the glass of champagne he is handing her. She lifts it up in front of her when everyone else does.

"CHEERS!" Comes the reply of the crowd.

Here's to a year free of murder, rape, explosions and near death experiences. Yeah right, this is Neptune, where normal IS the watchword.

The End

**A/N : I realize that this chapter took me a lot longer than the other ones, I think because I knew this was going to be the last one and that thought made me sad. However, I will begin posting a sequel in the next couple of weeks titled "Waste My Time", I hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed this one. I will tell you that there will be more mysteries and big things for MaDi, as well as LoVe of course. Also, if you don't mind letting me know what chapter was your favorite, I'm just kind of curious. Personally, I loved writing chapter 15, something about an entire chapter of Dick not to mention Cassidy **


End file.
